The Upper Cumberland Regional Airport’s operating income doubled the budgeted amount for the 2019 fiscal year.
Airport Manager Dean Selby said the increase comes from high amounts of fuel being sold throughout the year.
“We were up a tremendous amount in jet fuel sales,” Selby said. “Jet A income was $66,000 over what we projected. That was part of it.”
Selby said the heavy marketing of the airport for the past three years is now paying off. Selby said more aircraft traveling over Tennessee are stopping to refuel in Putnam County.
“It is good for the local economy, and it is good for the airport,” Selby said. “It allows us to raise revenue from a source that was not here before. We are not relying on local pilots as our main source of revenue.”
Selby said the extra income will be used to replace aging equipment and facilities in the future and help pay for state match money on grants.
“We spent part of the increase of revenue on a new ground power unit for these aircraft,” Selby said. “That was $40,000 for an equipment you have to have, and ours was 30 years old. This type of equipment is expensive and helps us from not having going to other sources.”
The Upper Cumberland Regional Airport plan to replace a fuel truck in the next year or two. The airport expected $122,885 in operating income and ended up with $253,638.
The airport also repainted a 66 foot beacon tower.
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