Henry County Airport

Aviation Enhancements Planned

• 5,500 foot runway a top priority
• Instrument landings in the works
• Improved security for your safety

Atlanta South Regional Airport to Drive Economic Development in Henry County

The investment in Atlanta South Regional Airport will enhance Henry County’s economy by “leveling the playing field” with other communities that have already invested in enhanced aviation infrastructure, enabling it to attract new industry.

By 2014, Henry County plans to have completed the improvements first advocated by the FAA in its Environmental Assessment report to Clayton County in 2006.  Those recommended improvements, which will be funded almost entirely (97.5%) by GDOT and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), call for installing an instrument landing system and other improvements that will bring the facility up to the safety standards recommended for the size and type of aircrafts that are currently flying into Tara Field, enabling pilots to take off and land safely in all kinds of weather.  Planned improvements also include installing fencing around the entire perimeter of the airfield property, which will help to improve security in a post-9/11 environment.

Once these improvements are made, there is an enormous opportunity for direct economic growth within the aerospace industry in Henry County, including the creation of high-paying jobs in airframe, mechanical system and avionics repair businesses.  

According to the Georgia Department of Economic Development, the average aerospace worker in Georgia earns over $61,300 annually, 43% higher than the average for the state, making aviation and aerospace projects an important target industry segment for the state, which is currently ranked 8th in U.S. aerospace industry employment. 

An improved airport will also better equip Henry County to attract the growing number of corporations which require nearby airfields for their operations or executive travel.  It will also help position the airport to become the preferred choice for aviation in the region.  Consequently, the County will also benefit from increased ad valorem taxes for aircraft housed at the airport, as well as fuel sales and other aviation investments that will add to the local tax base.

This potential for economic development is why Henry County acted now, with budgets as tight as they are, to purchase the facility. The recession also made the acquisition more favorable for Henry County.  Not only was the price less than it was early a decade ago, when Henry County first began looking at purchasing Tara Field, Henry County government will pay just $2.7 million of the $17.7 million price tag.  To further reduce the burden on taxpayers, the payments will spread out the payments over three budget years, with the next payment of $1 million not due until September 2012, and the last payment of $403,403 being paid in September of 2013. 

The balance of $15 million – or 85 percent of the purchase price – will be funded by the FAA.  The combined properties total approximately 542 acres and include the airport, taxiways and contiguous properties, plus a hangar and 217 acres of adjacent land that had been owned by the Clayton County Water Authority.  Combined, the properties have been independently appraised for more than $25 million.