An independent feasibility study done for the Upper Cumberland Regional Airport has deemed there is a “sufficient demand” for commercial flights out of the region
Airport Manager Dean Selby said that the results came back even stronger than he anticipated. He said the study was the first step in the process.
“Now we just need to figure out what our needs are from an infrastructure standpoint,” Selby said. “As far as, are we going to run it out of one of our existing terminals, will we use some kind of grant to build an additional facility, what kind of marking changes do we need to have on the runway?”
Selby said that the board will put together a team that will evaluate all of these needs. He said that they’ll get a budget together and figure out what they will need to move forward.
Selby said that the feasibility study was a make-or-break aspect of planning for commercial flights.
“Either you continue or it’s over,” Selby said. “It came over way stronger than we thought. And the conclusion was based on the holistic analysis of data and benchmarking of similar communities (…) That just shows us that there is enough demand now we need to evaluate what the infrastructure is. Obviously, we already have enough runway and that kind of equipment and acreage to do it.”
Selby said that the process could take about five to 10 years. He said that the airport would be working closely with the four government entities affiliated with the airport, Putnam County, Cookeville, White County, and Sparta, as the process continues.
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