For most people, the first thing that comes to mind when they think of an airport…is flying! But the operations at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport (MCN) go much further than that. In April, students in Macon-Bibb’s GCAPS (Georgia Civic Awareness Program for Students) leadership cohort visited the Airport to learn about its history and economic impact on the entire region.
Companies such as Boeing, Bombardier, Haeco, and Yulista have all set up shop at MCN to provide maintenance, repair, and overhaul for everything from small private planes to commercial liners to military aircraft. It’s those services that keep the airport running, and supporting our local economy.
“The Middle Georgia Regional Airport ranked 4th in total economic output in the state, and 3rd in the state in total jobs and salary. And we’ve done that with virtually no commercial service at all,” says Airport Manager Doug Faour. “So that tells you how important maintenance, repair, overhaul, and aircraft manufacturing are to our airport.”
To keep on the path of success, officials are working on getting a longer runway. Not just for possible passenger service, but so those companies at the facility can take in even more, and bigger, planes to continue and expand their work.
Supporting MGRA and its businesses is part of Macon-Bibb County’s award-winning strategic plan, to keep our community as a transportation hub for the whole state of Georgia.
To follow the airport’s events and updates, you can visit their Facebook page.
About Macon-Bibb GCAPS
For the past three years, Bibb County (and now Macon-Bibb County) has participated in the Association County Commissioners of Georgia’s (ACCG) Georgia Civic Awareness Program for Students (GCAPS). More than 100 students from Bibb County public and private schools applied for this year’s cohort, and more than 30 were selected through a rigorous application and interview process to participate.
Students in the Macon-Bibb GCAPS cohort get to see how government works, what’s changing through consolidation, and how they can be involved with and improve the community now and in the future. Throughout the course of the year, students take part in team-building exercises, attend Commission meetings, tour county facilities, visit the State Capitol, and interact with local and state leaders.
Pictures from their visits can be seen on their Facebook page, and MaconBibbTV produced a feature video on their trip to the Gold Dome and Suwanee.
About ACCG
ACCG is Georgia’s county association and works on behalf of county officials and their communities by providing public policy and legislative advocacy, leadership development, civic and community engagement initiatives, insurance and retirement programs that specialize in local government needs and other cost-saving programs. Formed in 1914 when county officials came together to help fund the state’s first highway department, ACCG today serves as a catalyst for advancing Georgia’s counties. For more information, go to www.accg.org.