On Tue, 11 Apr 2006 22:07:51 GMT, "Tom Conner"
wrote in et::

GA airports generate revenue, but measured as
dollar/acre GA revenue is abysmal. Virtually any other economic use of
airport land will produce a tremendous amount more of $$$ than GA.

Agreed.

The airport's value lies in it's existence in the nation's/world's
infrastructure as a portal for aerial transport. Further, the value
of the real estate upon which the airport is sited is obviously not in
the revenue the airport generates for the municipality operating it.
And the value of the property tax on the real estate if it were zoned
for development would surely be several times more than the airport
pays. Both economic issues motivate airport closures as do noise
complaints and developer lobbying.

But consider the future. If the airport real estate is allowed to be
subdivided into residential lots, the municipality's reacquiring the
property in 2020, when a local airport is being demanded by the
citizens, may prove difficult and unpopular.

There are a lot of issues in life that require foresight to achieve
long term goals, rather than failing to plan ahead in the face of
immediate gratification.