Chattanooga Airport officials look to a possible international future

Chattanooga Airport has agreed to lease space for a U.S. customs office, officials say, to benefit private aircraft from abroad and possibly one day help attract international commercial passenger traffic.

“We would like to take this opportunity if and when the time comes,” April Cameron, the airport’s CEO, said Monday.

Cameron said there were low-cost airlines looking at international markets and that having a Customs and Border Protection agency at the airport could help attract new airlines.

“I think it will be great for the airport in many ways,” she said in an interview after an airport authority meeting.

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Jack McAfee, vice president of airport operations, told the panel that the plan is to lease 1,000 square feet of space to the customs office free of charge for seven years.

He said the premises were located on the ground floor of the passenger terminal, which used to house travel agencies, but the site had been vacant for many years.

McAfee said the agency would provide a global entry office that could expedite entry for travelers who already have clearance to enter the country.

According to the airport, Customs currently has an office on Bonny Oaks Drive.

Airport Authority member Chip Baker asked how the service compares to the Transportation Security Administration’s PreCheck service, which helps travelers get through security more quickly.

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McAfee said Customs also offers PreCheck and it can be used for both international and domestic flights. He said the cost for Customs PreCheck is $100 for five years and $78 for TSA PreCheck for the same period.

“If you’re in Atlanta or any other international airport, you have it,” McAfee said.

Airport Authority Vice Chairman Dan Jacobson said at the meeting that he had used Customs PreCheck at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.

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“If the risk is low, your data is updated and all the places you’ve been are OK, it goes very quickly,” he said.

Andrew Swain, general manager of Wilson Air Center, which provides services for private aircraft at the airport, said at the meeting that they were observing flights from the Bahamas and Germany, in addition to other international flights.

He said setting up customs at the airport would help Wilson Air customers.

“I can’t tell you how many times a flight comes to us and we can’t reach them, touch them or help them until customs comes,” Swain said, adding that travelers sometimes have to wait up to 45 minutes for someone to process the flight unless a meeting is arranged.

Cameron said the customs office would raise awareness of the airport.

She said people in Atlanta or Nashville may not be able to get an appointment at customs in those cities, so they can now come to Chattanooga.

“Once they’re here, they’ll realize how convenient Chattanooga is,” Cameron said. “That could lead to greater awareness of our airport.”

Contact Mike Pare at [email protected] or 423-757-6318.