Pending approval by the Columbus City Council and the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors, the Columbus-Lowndes Airport will be “under new management,” as the saying goes.
The airport board unanimously chose Jared Rabren to serve as the facility’s fixed-based operator (FBO) on Thursday, and it’s easy to see why.
Rabren checked every box. He is young (25), but well trained (he holds a degree in aviation management from Delta State) and experienced (he currently works as operations manager at Bryan Field in Starkville and previously worked as an airplane mechanic and lineman at two other regional airports).
Rabren brought with him an extensive business plan and was not shy about requesting an additional $8,000 in funds he said was necessary to implement his plans.
As FBO, Rabren would have an independent contractor lease for the airport that Columbus and Lowndes County jointly own. He would be responsible for day-to-day operations and upkeep at the facility, including keeping the grass mowed and making sure aviation fuel and other services were available to pilots. In return, Rabren could set prices for fuel and other services, from which he can keep the profits.
The local airport has struggled through a revolving-door of FBOs since the Taloney family, which had operated as FBO for two decades, gave up the position. The board hopes that Rabren will not only arrest that decline, but make the airport viable.
While the airport has struggled to find its niche in the aviation field, local government has faced a financial paradox — It would cost more to close the airport than to keep it open, even at a bare-bones level. The city and county share the $70,000 annual cost of the FBO contract, but if they chose to close the airport, they would have to return potentially millions of dollars the airport has received in federal grants over the years.
Rabren’s job will be to mend relationships with local pilots who use the airport as well as develop new services to transform the airport from its current de facto role as a refueling stop to a legitimate general aviation facility.
It is likely to be a difficult job and profit margins are likely to be small, but Rabren appears to have all the credentials necessary for the challenges that await.
For too long now, the Lowndes County Airport has been an obligation.
Rabren’s job will be to make it an asset.
We wish him well.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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