Hartsfield Airport

[augga706]

Congress has given atlanta's hartfield airport $900,000 dollars to conduct a steady on what to do with the congestion of their airport. Right now its between augusta & chattanooga as to which city atlanta will pick for future construction since their airport is landlocked. Leaders say if they expand out of georgia the tax dollars will be of great loss to the state if it ends in TN. Leaders in richmond county say that augusta has some advantages over chattanooga. We already have alot of flights from charlotte, & atlanta everyday. Our location also is a plus since we are near columbia, savannah, atlanta, greenville, & charlotte. Another advantage for augusta is our runway is larger than chattanooga's airport, & our brand new terminal built can add on to be even bigger when more room is needed. What do you guys think about who should win for this massive project. One city will expand very rapidly when picked since atlanta airport is the world's busiest. I know it would be a tragedy not to keep our tax dollars in ga & take them out of state. If they dont pick augusta, atleast pick savannah, macon, or columbus ga needs the tax base. What are your opinions?

[PJA]

Our congressmen and senators in the area are really pushing for the expansion to happen in Augusta but I 'm not going to get my hopes up. Even though it would be beneficial to the state, the fact that they are even considering Chattanooga leads me to believe it won't happen here. That would be too good to be true. But the people of Chattanooga probably feel the same way.

[socaguy]

If they choose Chattanooga would it be in the Georgia suburbs or in Tennesee? This wouldnt make sense.

[ATLman1]

Chattanooga and especially Augusta are just too far away. It needs to be near Atlanta, not 150 miles north or east.

[yerocal]

Chattanooga and especially Augusta are just too far away. It needs to be near Atlanta, not 150 miles north or east.

[Topher1]

The point is to create more service closer to the largest population base, meaning Atlanta's northern burbs. Since Hartsfield is already in the southern metro, expanding in Macon or Columbus would be against the point. That said, I also agree that both Chatt. and Aug. are WAY too distant to attract Atlanta customers, and perhaps authorities should consider new sites in the northern metro, such as Gainesville...

[socaguy]

I may be wrong but I think the idea is to alleviate some of the traffic coming from some of the other major metros in the SE like Augusta, Columbia, Savannah, etc. A major airport like this would draw from the 530,000 or so in the Augusta metro, the 750,000 or so in the Columbia area which is just an hour away from Augusta, The Savannah/Hilton head area with another 500K or so. Perhaps even Greenville (which is about 2 hours from either Augusta or Atlanta but further to the Atlanta airport) which has over 1 million in its sprawling metro. Not to mention all the counties in between which arent parts of metro areas. It would draw from a possibly over 3 million people who often use Atlantas airport because their own airports dont offer such frequent flights, etc.

I dont think the point is for Atlanta area residents to use it, but for relief from out of town users, etc.

It would be silly in my opinion to put an airport like this in Macon because it is already a short distance to the airport in Atlanta. Plus, there are no other large metro areas close to Macon that it would pull from.

[augga706]

i agree socaguy i think the new terminal in either chattanooga or augusta will be for out of towners. Ppl from columbia, greenville, or savannah who wouldnt have to go to atlanta if this is built in augusta. I think that the idea is to keep as many ppl away from atlanta's airport as possible. You wouldnt have ppl from augusta who help congest atl airport if they built it here. It couldnt be in gainesville because they want a city thats a metropolitan area & as far from atl as possible. The idea is to add a couple million dollars to a existing pretty good size airport not construct a whole new airport.

[augga706]

Chattanooga & Augusta were chosen because they are their own metropolitan cities. They both have a good size airport already & are 2 hours or more away from atlanta. I think they are just predicting that charlotte airport or miami to the south are to far & will have their own congestion in the future. They probably are predicting that both augusta & chattanooga will grow enough to handle some of the weight of ppl flying out of or near ga. Nashville airport probably will have its own congestion & columbia & greenville probably werent discuss because their in carolina. So the only logical choice would be chattanooga or augusta when you think about it, if not the other 3 ga cities like macon & columbus are to close to atl, & savannah is not centrally located like augusta is to other major cities.

[yerocal]

Well, I think some of you guys have gotten a little confused about the proposed of the 2nd airport, it not to because of so many residents of trying to pull from large metros, it's main purpose is as relief from hartsfield, macon is one of the consider which has been assured by atlanta mayor shirley frankilin because macon is so close makes it a perfect location because if passagers had to be devirted to another airport due to hartsfield chaos who want drive another 2 hours to catch a plane when you could take Drive the short distance to macon or catch cheap air service to Macon. That why macon is also another big consideration for the 2nd airport ,because by macon being just a relier airport it would already have huge amount of passagers being directed there just relieve the Hartsfield airport so that why it does not have to be close to any other large metro and not only will it have the redirected passgers but the draw of the entire west, middle & south GA area. and with plans to develop commuter rail from Atlanta to Macon makes it even better.

[PJA]

I hadn't heard anything about Macon being considered. Both of the articles stated Chattagnooga and Augusta. And one of the advantages of Augusta is that there is already rail in place between Atlanta and Augusta. Plus if they put it in Macon, they might as well put it in Atlanta. They actually want it a little farther away so people in Columbia, Savanah, Augusta and other nearby metros won't have to go to Atlanta...they would fly out of Augusta. Also the point of the airport is not to send people there when something at Hartsfield. They won't to alleviate traffic from there completely. It won't be like someone would drive to Atlanta then something happens to their flight and so they drive to Augusta or Chattanooga...that's not the main purpose. The new airport would have major flights meaning that people in the surrounding metros would not have to go to Atlanta in the first place.

[Lexy]

Chattanooga & Augusta were chosen because they are their own metropolitan cities. They both have a good size airport already & are 2 hours or more away from atlanta. I think they are just predicting that charlotte airport or miami to the south are to far & will have their own congestion in the future. They probably are predicting that both augusta & chattanooga will grow enough to handle some of the weight of ppl flying out of or near ga. Nashville airport probably will have its own congestion & columbia & greenville probably werent discuss because their in carolina. So the only logical choice would be chattanooga or augusta when you think about it, if not the other 3 ga cities like macon & columbus are to close to atl, & savannah is not centrally located like augusta is to other major cities.

[yerocal]

I hadn't heard anything about Macon being considered. Both of the articles stated Chattagnooga and Augusta. And one of the advantages of Augusta is that there is already rail in place between Atlanta and Augusta. Plus if they put it in Macon, they might as well put it in Atlanta. They actually want it a little farther away so people in Columbia, Savanah, Augusta and other nearby metros won't have to go to Atlanta...they would fly out of Augusta. Also the point of the airport is not to send people there when something at Hartsfield. They won't to alleviate traffic from there completely. It won't be like someone would drive to Atlanta then something happens to their flight and so they drive to Augusta or Chattanooga...that's not the main purpose. The new airport would have major flights meaning that people in the surrounding metros would not have to go to Atlanta in the first place.

[yerocal]

I hadn't heard anything about Macon being considered. Both of the articles stated Chattagnooga and Augusta. And one of the advantages of Augusta is that there is already rail in place between Atlanta and Augusta. Plus if they put it in Macon, they might as well put it in Atlanta. They actually want it a little farther away so people in Columbia, Savanah, Augusta and other nearby metros won't have to go to Atlanta...they would fly out of Augusta. Also the point of the airport is not to send people there when something at Hartsfield. They won't to alleviate traffic from there completely. It won't be like someone would drive to Atlanta then something happens to their flight and so they drive to Augusta or Chattanooga...that's not the main purpose. The new airport would have major flights meaning that people in the surrounding metros would not have to go to Atlanta in the first place.

[socaguy]

To me it would make absolutely no sense to put the airport in Macon. First of all, people from Augusta, Columbia and Greenville (well over 2.5 million people) would not drive to Macon over the airport in Atlanta, (There are people in Cola who use ATL. Macon has no nearby large cities to draw from. It could draw from Savannah and Columbus but then again, Columbus could just as easily use Atlanta.

And why would anyone from the Atlanta area use an airport in Macon? They would have to drive an additional 90 miles or so? I dont think so. Maybe some of the VERY far flung southern suburbs would to avoid the hassle of Hartsfield but thats not many.

Augusta, Chattanooga or hell, even Athen would make ALOT more sense,

[ATLman1]

The second airport should be in Atlanta and nowhere else. Why would anyone fly into Columbus or Macon let alone cities even further like Augusta or Chattanooga if there final destination is Atlanta.

[yerocal]

To me it would make absolutely no sense to put the airport in Macon. First of all, people from Augusta, Columbia and Greenville (well over 2.5 million people) would not drive to Macon over the airport in Atlanta, (There are people in Cola who use ATL. Macon has no nearby large cities to draw from. It could draw from Savannah and Columbus but then again, Columbus could just as easily use Atlanta.

And why would anyone from the Atlanta area use an airport in Macon? They would have to drive an additional 90 miles or so? I dont think so. Maybe some of the VERY far flung southern suburbs would to avoid the hassle of Hartsfield but thats not many.

Augusta, Chattanooga or hell, even Athen would make ALOT more sense,

[yerocal]

To me it would make absolutely no sense to put the airport in Macon. First of all, people from Augusta, Columbia and Greenville (well over 2.5 million people) would not drive to Macon over the airport in Atlanta, (There are people in Cola who use ATL. Macon has no nearby large cities to draw from. It could draw from Savannah and Columbus but then again, Columbus could just as easily use Atlanta.

And why would anyone from the Atlanta area use an airport in Macon? They would have to drive an additional 90 miles or so? I dont think so. Maybe some of the VERY far flung southern suburbs would to avoid the hassle of Hartsfield but thats not many.

Augusta, Chattanooga or hell, even Athen would make ALOT more sense,

[ATLman1]

Well It make perfect sense to put the airport in Macon because 1st the rates would be cheaper, Macon

[PJA]

The second airport should be in Atlanta and nowhere else. Why would anyone fly into Columbus or Macon let alone cities even further like Augusta or Chattanooga if there final destination is Atlanta.

[PJA]

Well i have tracking this plan from day one and in any of the article i read augusta was never a consideration or the ideal location for airport, and the reason to build an airport is not to please large metro or move it alway from atlanta but to releive the volume of passangers coming though hartsfield and also about columbia augusta or even savannah not having to drive to atlanta that does not makes any for them to drive to atlanta when columbia and savannah already have major airports there is a airport in columbia and the savannah/hiltonhead international airport in savannah so that does make any since to put a airport in augusta when they can drive a hour to columbia. Macon has always been a consideration because of it centralized location in Ga and interstate access and right noe the state is in neogation with norfolk southern to lease tracks the run from macon to atlanta for commuter rail... so i don't where you getting you infor from but you may need to go back and check it sources. Macon Major Has alreay spoke to atlanta Mayor shirely franklin and airport offical which assured him that Macon would still be a coinsideration so if macon was not a good idea they would have said it.

[yerocal]

[

Well think of what you saying if Hartsfield is supporting the the Atlanta, Columbus, or Macon area, then why would you put a airport in augusta to support Savannah, Augusta, Columbia, Greenville etc when there is already airports in columbia and savannah. Why have 3 airports in a area with so small of a population, when there are metros with 1 or 2 airports with much larger populations. Now that doesn't make sense at all... It make sense to put it in Macon and connect it by High speed rail which is already in the works and let MGA area reap the benefits of the growth from what an airport would bring... Keeping renue and jobs in GA. If you can drive 2 or more hours to atlanta for flights it not going to hurt anyone driving 1/1/2 to Macon for cheaper and less chaotic flights, people will surely get use to it. Because Macon has been one of the biggest considerations and there so many top dogs also pushing for macon, I hope it happens because Atlanta has reap enough of the Ga's benfits its time for another Ga city to shine.....

[yerocal]

BTW Columbia airport only has connecting flights just like Augusta's airport. And here's the article. I'm not making anyting up.

article

Furthermore I think you should remember that everyone is entitled to their own opinions. Just because someone doesn't think that Macon isn't a good location doens't mean they are wrong regardless if Mayor Franklins is considering it or not. Just like you don't think Augusta is a good idea..some don't think Macon is a good a good idea...they are both up for consideration however.

[yerocal]

That article does not say that Augusta is a consideration, it just saying that they hoping to get them to look at Augusta for consideration based on what is has to offer.... Macon was a idea proposed by state officals and Macon's Mayor just call to verify that Macon was still in the consideration pot. Not to encourage them to consider because Macon has already been one of the considerations from day one.

[Lowerdeck]

How about this. Since Hartsfield is in the southwest side of the city, why not just built an airport to the northeast side of the city? Is there anywhere along 985 or 575 or 400 which is good enough to be an airport site?