In the wake of Anthony Marino’s announcement that he’s stepping down Oct. 14 from his post at the helm of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport after more than 20 years, Business Report Editor Stephanie Riegel called Metro Councilman and Airport Commissioner Trae Welch to ask about the board’s plans to replace the outgoing director.
“In the course of our conversation, Welch confirmed the board will conduct a national search for Marino’s successor. He also praised the job Marino has done at the airport and pointed out, in all seriousness, that BTR, as the airport is known in the industry, has received many national awards over the years,” Riegel writes in her latest column. “I replied, somewhat less seriously, that, yes, the airport is efficient, appealing from a design perspective and far more pleasant to use than most other airports because there just aren’t many passengers or flights to muck the place up.”
Welch didn’t appreciate Riegel’s humor, she says, and proceeded to tell her how the airport, in fact, has a lot going on.
“People think the airport is a place to catch a plane to go on vacation,” Welch said. “It’s about so much more.”
“This may come as surprise to you. It did to me,” Riegel writes. “I was one of those who labored, mistakenly, under the impression that an airport exists primarily to serve the traveling public, whether for business or pleasure.”
But Welch is not technically incorrect, she says, noting that BTR is an economic engine in that spawns some 4,500 jobs and indirect jobs and has an estimated annual economic impact of $1.1 billion.
Riegel also acknowledges the airport is self-sustaining and doesn’t take any public tax dollars. Its Aviation Business Park tenants include Coca Cola Bottling Co., All Star Chevrolet North and ABC Auction Broadcasting. And its hangar space also is filled to capacity, as the number of private planes and corporate jets that use the airport has increased along with the number of entities that service general aviation.
“Indeed, viewed from the perspective of airport-as-enterprise, the Baton Rouge Metro Airport is a success,” she writes. “It has a lot going on. But the fact remains that the airport is not just a business enterprise. It’s supposed to be a place where travelers can catch a commercial flight to the destination of their choice. This has been its primary mission—at least that’s the public perception of its mission—and in this respect BTR’s track record isn’t quite as successful.”
Riegel points out that the number of passengers flying through BTR has decreased over the past three years. In 2015 alone, she explains, passenger count declined more than 4% because many passengers are opting to larger neighboring airports like New Orleans’ MSY, which has better flights and prices.
“So maybe the airport should just stop trying,” Riegel writes. “Maybe it should continue to focus on doing what it does well, servicing its general aviation and business park tenants, and give up on commercial air service altogether.”
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