Airport launches regional planning study
By A.B. Snedeker

City of Atlanta and Airport officials met recently with regional stakeholders to kick off the second phase of the Atlanta Metropolitan Aviation Capacity Study (AMACS). The purpose of the study is to determine whether there are feasible sites in metro Atlanta for a second commercial-service airport.

The scope of the study is limited to high-level assessments based on air space and environmental and financial considerations to determine “fatal flaws” for studied sites. The study will not determine if, when or where a second airport would be built.

The study is a collaborative effort among the City of Atlanta Department of Aviation, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Atlanta Regional Commission, the Georgia Department of Transportation (DOT), and other aviation and regional organizations.

Areas to be evaluated include sites identified in a 1991 regional aviation study and a Georgia DOT second-airport study. These sites include areas in Forsyth and Dawson counties, Jackson County, Monroe and Lamar counties, and Paulding and Polk counties. Dobbins Air Force Reserve Base and existing general aviation sites also are being studied.

The FAA is funding 75 percent of the $1 million phase 2 study, which started in August 2010 and concludes in March 2011. A final report will be issued the following month.

For more information about the study, see the frequently asked questions and brochure on the Airport’s Web site.