Atlanta's second airport

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Atlanta's second airport is an idea being studied by the city of Atlanta, Georgia. In May 2007, the Federal Aviation Administration released the report, "Capacity Needs in the National Airspace System, 2007 - 2025" as part of its Future Airport Capacity Task (FACT2). The report identified Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the Atlanta metropolitan area as needing additional capacity by 2025. [cite journal |title=Capacity Needs in the National Airspace System, 2007 - 2025 |publisher=Federal Aviation Administration |date=May 14 2007 |format=PDF |pages=p. 16 |url=http://www.faa.gov/airports_airtraffic/airports/resources/publications/reports/media/fact_2.pdf |accessdate=2007-10-12] cite news |title=FAA Recommends 2nd Atlanta Airport |url=http://www.11alive.com/news/article_news.aspx?storyid=97074 |publisher=WXIA TV |author=Christensen, Tracey |date=May 15 2007 |accessdate=2007-10-12] Following the report release, Atlanta was given a $1 million federal grant to study the possibility of adding another airport.cite news |publisher=Atlanta Business Chronicle |title=Feds give Atlanta $1M to study second metro airport |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2007/05/14/daily13.html |author=Ramos, Rachel Tobin |date=May 15 2007 |accessdate=2007-10-12]

Both Delta Air Lines and AirTran Airways, which both operate their primary hubs in Atlanta, expressed skepticism about building a second airport.cite news |publisher=USA Today |url=http://blogs.usatoday.com/sky/2007/05/delta_airtran_g.html |title=Delta, AirTran greet proposal for 2nd Atlanta airport with 'chilly skepticism' |author=Mutzabaugh, Ben |date=May 17 2007 |accessdate=2007-10-12]

Alternatives

An additional commercial airport for the Atlanta metropolitan area could be created by expansion of an existing general aviation airport, conversion of an air force base or by new construction on a greenfield site.

Paulding County property

In 1975, in anticipation of a second airport, the City of Atlanta purchased convert|10165|acre|km2 of land west of the city in Paulding County for $925 per acre.cite news |title=Atlanta sells back land for Paulding airport |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2007/07/02/daily11.html?from_rss=1 |publisher=Atlanta Business Chronicle |date=2007-07-03 |accessdate=2007-10-12] In early 2007 Paulding County purchased convert|162|acre|km2|1 of the property for a new general aviation airport, however Atlanta's second commercial could still be built on the remaining property. Paulding County is unserved by either rapid transit or freeways.

Dawson Forest

The City of Atlanta also owns convert|10130|acre|km2 of land located southwest of Dawsonville, Georgia purchased in 1972 from Lockheed which was the previous site of the Georgia Nuclear Aircraft Laboratory (GNAL).cite web |url=http://www.etowahscenicriver.org/HISTORY.DOC |title=Dawson Forest City of Atlanta Tract – Then and Now |author=McClure, Nathan |publisher=Etowah Scenic River Committee |accessdate=2007-10-12] The property is currently referred to as the Dawson Forest City of Atlanta Tract and managed by the Georgia Forestry Commission with a trail system open to the public.cite news |title=Midnight Rush - Adventure racers will traverse Dawson Forest |url=http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/stories/20040722/getout/18560.shtml |author=Harrison, Jane |publisher=Gainesville Times |date=2004-07-22 |accessdate=2007-10-12] The tract is located approximately ten miles from the end of limited access on GA 400 in Cumming, Georgia. Three acres previously occupied by GNAL were restricted following 1978 testing which found residual radiation from the experiments performed there. Subsequent studies in 1991 and 1997 found radiation levels to be at or slightly above normal background levels. The property also encompasses Amicalola Creek which various groups are lobbying to be designated as a scenic river.

Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport

Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport officials and a Georgia state senator have proposed expansion of the airport, located in Chattanooga, Tennessee as a solution to Atlanta's capacity needs.cite news |title=Officials want 2nd Atlanta airport scenario studied |publisher=Chattanooga Time Free Press |author=Pare, Mike |url=http://www.timesfreepress.com/absolutenm/templates/business-tnvalley.aspx?articleid=16032&zoneid=171 |date=May 30 2007 |accessdate=2007-10-12] Sen. Jeff Mullis' idea includes a maglev train to connect Atlanta passengers to CMA. Like the Western & Atlantic Railroad (Georgia's first state road), it would be built cooperatively by the state with the help of Tennessee. Chattanooga's airport currently operates at a small portion of its capacity, but additional capacity would be necessary to be Atlanta's second airport. Expansion would be difficult as the property is currently bounded by significant roads, a railroad line and a creek bed.

Dobbins Air Reserve Base

Dobbins Air Reserve Base, located just northwest of Atlanta along I-75, was originally intended as a second airport prior to World War II. However, Dobbins would only be available if a future Department of Defense Base Realignment and Closure commission decided to close the base. As of 2007, no additional BRAC commission is planned.

Northeast Georgia Regional Airport

After the announcement of the second airport study, a long-dormant commission created in 1989 by the Georgia General Assembly in hopes of creating a regional airport to northeast Georgia reconstituted itself.cite news |title=Airport council revived |author=Aued, Blake |url=http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/081207/news_20070812077.shtml |publisher=Athens Banner-Herald |date=2007-08-12 |date=2007-08-12] The Northeast Georgia Surface and Air Transportation Commission is now planning to create studies for a 20- or 24-gate airport in the region that could provide relief for Hartsfield drawing traffic from Atlanta's northeast suburbs. While the earlier incarnation of the commission narrowed options to the expansion of Gwinnett County's Briscoe Field, the Dawson Forest site, and a convert|10000|acre|km2|sing=on site in Jackson County, the new version will consider expansion of the Barrow County-based general aviation Northeast Georgia Regional Airport. The facility is extending an existing runway to convert|7000|ft|m and although it currently occupies only convert|450|acre|km2|1, there is undeveloped land adjacent for expansion.

References

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