Commander Premier still in airport hanger

CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO (KRCU) - The aircraft company Commander Premier is forcing the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport’s Advisory Committee to make tough decisions.

The company is more than one million dollars behind on the rent for the usage of the hangar it currently occupies.

Airport Manager and committee member Bruce Loy says that the board is recommending that the city does not reach any side agreements on the hanger with any company until Commander Premier has vacated the property.

“We are working with the city and at some point in time if they are not going to get out on their own, we will probably need to lock the facility up,” Loy said.

The committee stated that, to date, it does not appear that Commander Premier has even begun to move out of the hanger.

Commander’s deadline for vacating the hangar is Thursday.

The Airport Advisory Board also discussed the air traffic control (ATC) at their meeting Tuesday night ... and there is little relief in sight for ATC operators at Cape Girardeau’s Regional Airport.

Currently the ATC at the airport is in operation 10 hours a day, 7 days a week. Many other airports run their ATC for about 12 hours.

But Cape’s airport also only has three full time ATC operators on staff.

The airport’s Advisory Committee wants to hire another operator; however a lack of funds means that they will have to look first for funds to train a part time operator to help out.

Despite this, Loy holds out hope for the future.

“Down the road we are hopeful, that maybe can use that person if we can get the find mores maybe to turn that into just, just a part time controller so if we could turn that into a half time. We would probably be able to go into a 12 hour operation,” Loy said.

Nevertheless the airport will first have to locate funds.

The airport has fewer operators then many other comparable airports in Missouri, but it has more flights.

Tim Filla, KRCU

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