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As others have said, most secondary airports were either once the city's primary airport, developed many, many years ago, and only became secondary because the city outgrew them and built new principal airports elsewhere. Think:
-Midway, which preceded O'Hare
-LaGuarida, which preceded JFK (LGA is really still NYC's primary airport, but it's too constrained, with runways too short for long-haul widebodies)
-Dallas-Love Field, which preceded DFW
-Houston-Hobby, which preceded Intercontinental, now Bush Intercontinental
-Washington National Airport, which preceded Dulles and which, like LGA, is still the primary domestic airport for the region but which cannot handle long haul widebodies
A handful of other secondary airports developed around medium-to-large secondary cities that are distinct within their metro areas, something that really doesn't exist in metro Atlanta:
-Fort Lauderdale (secondary to Miami)
-St Pete / Clearwater (Tampa)
-Oakland (San Francisco)
-Orange County (Los Angeles)
Even all of those have existed for many, many years. I don't think a major secondary airport has opened since deregulation (1978).
As others have said, most secondary airports were either once the city's primary airport, developed many, many years ago, and only became secondary because the city outgrew them and built new principal airports elsewhere. Think:
-Midway, which preceded O'Hare
-LaGuarida, which preceded JFK (LGA is really still NYC's primary airport, but it's too constrained, with runways too short for long-haul widebodies)
-Dallas-Love Field, which preceded DFW
-Houston-Hobby, which preceded Intercontinental, now Bush Intercontinental
-Washington National Airport, which preceded Dulles and which, like LGA, is still the primary domestic airport for the region but which cannot handle long haul widebodies
A handful of other secondary airports developed around medium-to-large secondary cities that are distinct within their metro areas, something that really doesn't exist in metro Atlanta:
-Fort Lauderdale (secondary to Miami)
-St Pete / Clearwater (Tampa)
-Oakland (San Francisco)
-Orange County (Los Angeles)
Even all of those have existed for many, many years. I don't think a major secondary airport has opened since deregulation (1978).
Does anybody else think this would be a good idea? The main Atlanta airport is pretty far for most people living north of the city. Plenty of major metros like D.C, Chicago, NYC, L.A, Miami have more than one airport. I'm wondering if a smaller airport north of Alpharetta would be a good idea.
Back in the early 1990s, a study was commissioned to identify a viable location for a second commercial/passenger airport. I recall a site in Gwinnet County was identified. Unfortunately for greater Atlanta, the short-sighted/narrow-minded residents of Gwinnett country shouted it down. I also recall some discussion of expanding Chattanooga's airport in the early 2000s as second spot. But again nothing.
I was thinking PDK. Right next to MARTA already. KATL is SW of downtown. KPDK is NE of downtown.
Has the feel of KHOU and KDAL in that they're closer to the city center than KIAH and KDFW. (Well, actually ATL might be closer to downtown, but PDK is probably closer to the center of population) All are located slightly off the nearest freeway. Lots of general aviation action that does just fine despite commercial airline traffic.
But, I don't know if the runway(s) is really long enough to work and I don't know if they can expand.
Plus, HOU and DAL both are homes mostly to SW while IAH is United and DFW is AA. ATL is obviously Delta and that pattern isn't a good sign for Delta. They have a lot of clout in Georgia and they'd fight hard to preserve their status in Atlanta and I don't know if having a 2nd airport is really beneficial to them.
Ok so what really can Delta do? They have billions in capital invested at HJA. They aren't going to move out of the area. Building a second airport on the northside were more of metro Atlanta is based I think will draw every major Airline besides Delta for sure. Where would Delta move that other airlines don't already have large traffic counts?
Here is a brief television report on 11 Alive news asking why Atlanta does not have a second major commercial airport like other large major metro areas of its size or larger:
"Why doesn't Atlanta have a second commercial airport?" (11 Alive news, 15 May 2018)
Here is a report from the City of Atlanta in 2011 that scouted up to 29 different sites all around Georgia above the Gnat Line and settled on 8 particular sites for a potential second major commercial airport in metro Atlanta's heavily populated and expansive Northern suburbs:
"Atlanta Metropolitan Aviation Capacity Study Phase II Executive Summary" (City of Atlanta, Department of Aviation, Planning and Development, May 2011)
Of the 8 sites that the CoA report settled on as being the most feasible for a potential second major commercial airport (Dobbins ARB, Cobb County Airport/McCollum Field, Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area, Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport, Gwinnett County Airport/Briscoe Field, Cherokee County Airport, Cartersville Airport, Barrow County Airport), about 4 seemed to be the most favored (Dawson County WMA, Dobbins ARB, Cobb County Airport/McCollum Field, and Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport).
The authors of the report appeared to very heavily favor Dobbins ARB because of its close proximity of multiple major business districts and areas of dense population on the Northside... Though they noted obstacles to the Dobbins ARB site, like the close dense existing commercial and residential development of the surrounding area (something that likely would require the acquisition of some nearby properties and generate a very significant amount of public opposition) as well as the need to share the airport with the military by way of a joint operating agreement with the military.
The authors of the CoA report also favored Cobb County Airport/McCollum Field (now "Cobb County International Airport/McCollum Field") because of its relatively close proximity to a large cluster of development and population in Northwest metro Atlanta... But they thought that this site would be extremely expensive to develop.
The authors of the report like Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport because of how it appears it was and is being planned to be the site of a larger, busier airport... Though they did not seem to think that the site was close to enough of the Northside's population and business centers to be most effective in being a second major commercial airport for the region as a whole.
The authors of the report also appeared to be very favorable towards the Dawson County greenfield site (Dawson County Wildlife Management Area) because of the relative lack of existing development on and immediately around the site... But they noted that the environment protection buffer along the Etowah River would be an issue... An issue that (along with the site's status as a state government-protected Wildlife Management Area and its location in the foothills of the politically sensitive Blue Ridge Mountains region north of Atlanta) most assuredly generate much opposition from both environmentalists and locals alike.
Overall, the authors of the report concluded that the benefit that would be derived from developing a second major commercial airport was not worth the cost from their standpoint... But they did note that the issue of developing a second major airport would need to be revisited periodically because of the Atlanta region's continued population and economic growth.
Quote:
Originally Posted by arjay57
If they put this thing in Cobb will the state of Georgia run it?
That is a really good question.
The 11 Alive news article that I linked to says that the City of Atlanta's contract with Delta states that the city
“does not currently plan to and will not operate or own” a second commercial airport in the area.
So any second major commercial airport, whether located in Cobb County, or elsewhere, most likely would have to be owned and operated by an entity other than the City of Atlanta.
I foresee Dobbins being picked as the second airport.
A BRAC will take care of the inconvenient military issue when the next recession takes place. And stresses the federal budget to the point that sacrifices will be made in order to preserve the overall DoD budget.
As far as NIMBYs are concerned they will be bought out. And the ones that can't be bought out will be pressured by the increased air traffic to move out.
All it takes is a Federal law or change to FAA policy for airports to allow increased air-traffic. That would take local politicians off the hook and give them plausible deniability.
Here is a brief television report on 11 Alive news asking why Atlanta does not have a second major commercial airport like other large major metro areas of its size or larger:
"Why doesn't Atlanta have a second commercial airport?" (11 Alive news, 15 May 2018)
Here is a report from the City of Atlanta in 2011 that scouted up to 29 different sites all around Georgia above the Gnat Line and settled on 8 particular sites for a potential second major commercial airport in metro Atlanta's heavily populated and expansive Northern suburbs:
"Atlanta Metropolitan Aviation Capacity Study Phase II Executive Summary" (City of Atlanta, Department of Aviation, Planning and Development, May 2011)
Of the 8 sites that the CoA report settled on as being the most feasible for a potential second major commercial airport (Dobbins ARB, Cobb County Airport/McCollum Field, Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area, Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport, Gwinnett County Airport/Briscoe Field, Cherokee County Airport, Cartersville Airport, Barrow County Airport), about 4 seemed to be the most favored (Dawson County WMA, Dobbins ARB, Cobb County Airport/McCollum Field, and Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport).
The authors of the report appeared to very heavily favor Dobbins ARB because of its close proximity of multiple major business districts and areas of dense population on the Northside... Though they noted obstacles to the Dobbins ARB site, like the close dense existing commercial and residential development of the surrounding area (something that likely would require the acquisition of some nearby properties and generate a very significant amount of public opposition) as well as the need to share the airport with the military by way of a joint operating agreement with the military.
The authors of the CoA report also favored Cobb County Airport/McCollum Field (now "Cobb County International Airport/McCollum Field") because of its relatively close proximity to a large cluster of development and population in Northwest metro Atlanta... But they thought that this site would be extremely expensive to develop.
The authors of the report like Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport because of how it appears it was and is being planned to be the site of a larger, busier airport... Though they did not seem to think that the site was close to enough of the Northside's population and business centers to be most effective in being a second major commercial airport for the region as a whole.
The authors of the report also appeared to be very favorable towards the Dawson County greenfield site (Dawson County Wildlife Management Area) because of the relative lack of existing development on and immediately around the site... But they noted that the environment protection buffer along the Etowah River would be an issue... An issue that (along with the site's status as a state government-protected Wildlife Management Area and its location in the foothills of the politically sensitive Blue Ridge Mountains region north of Atlanta) most assuredly generate much opposition from both environmentalists and locals alike.
Overall, the authors of the report concluded that the benefit that would be derived from developing a second major commercial airport was not worth the cost from their standpoint... But they did note that the issue of developing a second major airport would need to be revisited periodically because of the Atlanta region's continued population and economic growth.
That is a really good question.
The 11 Alive news article that I linked to says that the City of Atlanta's contract with Delta states that the city
“does not currently plan to and will not operate or own” a second commercial airport in the area.
So any second major commercial airport, whether located in Cobb County, or elsewhere, most likely would have to be owned and operated by an entity other than the City of Atlanta.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AcidSnake
I foresee Dobbins being picked as the second airport.
A BRAC will take care of the inconvenient military issue when the next recession takes place. And stresses the federal budget to the point that sacrifices will be made in order to preserve the overall DoD budget.
As far as NIMBYs are concerned they will be bought out. And the ones that can't be bought out will be pressured by the increased air traffic to move out.
All it takes is a Federal law or change to FAA policy for airports to allow increased air-traffic. That would take local politicians off the hook and give them plausible deniability.
This can happen within 5-10 years, more or less.
Told y'all...
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