Jet Fuel now offered at Habersham Airport

CORNELIA - With the Habersham County Airport now offering jet fuel, the airport's manager says it should be a boost to the local economy.

Jim Tatum, who is also the airport's fixed base operator, said they have been in need of jet fuel for a long time, but there was a question for several years of how it would be funded.

Tatum said the airport was hurting because some planes wouldn't stop there.

"We've had some traffic that would come through and not land here because we didn't have fuel," he said. "It was hurting the area...because a lot of times they'd come into other airports...just because they had fuel available."

As of Wednesday, the airport now offers a station with 100 octane jet and aircraft fuels, available from 8 a.m. until dusk. It cost about $120,000 to buy and install the equipment, and Tatum said the fuel will be offered for about $5.60 a gallon.

Tatum said the fuel will not only help the airport, but will make it more attractive for industry to come into the county.

"We are trying to develop an industrial park here, and with some success, but I think we'll be more successful developing an industrial park now with the jet fuel," he said.

The Habersham County Airport is located about two miles west of Cornelia, just off the Hwy. 441 bypass on Airport Road. There are about 65 aircraft based on the field, including 54 single engine airplanes, 10 multi-engine airplanes and one helicopter.

For more information, contact 706-778-9978 or visit www.AirNav.com.