New Director Taking Over Gulf Shores International Airport Ahead of Commercial Aviation Transition

A veteran of airport management in Maine and Missouri will start as the new director of the Gulf Shores International Airport by the end of this year.

Jesse Fosnaugh, who most recently was the deputy director at the Branson Airport in Missouri, will take over as head of an airport ( Gulf Shores) that is transitioning from general aviation airport to a commercial airport.

Fosnaugh has 18 years of airport management experience that also includes a stint as the communications center manager and noise abatement officer with the Portland International Jetport in Portland, Maine. He also has extensive experience as an adjunct professor of aviation instruction at Ozarks Technical Community College in Springfield, Mo.

“Jesse’s extensive experience in airport management, particularly his success in growing commercial service airports, aligns perfectly with our vision for Gulf Shores International Airport,” Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft said in a statement. “His strong leadership skills, combined with his commitment to building strong relationships with stakeholders, will be invaluable as we navigate this exciting new chapter.”

Fosnaugh, in a statement, said he looks forward to working with local officials on moving the airport into commercial services.

“I am thrilled to join the Gulf Shores International Airport team and contribute to the airport’s exciting growth and development plans,” he said in a statement.

Gulf Shores has been inching toward a commercial airport to assist in alleviating congested beachbound roadways, especially along Alabama State Route 59. Earlier this year, the City of Gulf Shores loaned the Airport Authority $3 million as a match to a $5 million federal grant to build a temporary terminal supporting commercial services.

Studies show that almost all visitors to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach arrive by vehicle. Of the approximately 7 million people who visited the beaches in 2018 and 2019, a whopping 92% arrived by car or truck during peak summer travel months.

Officials believe Gulf Shores could be an attractive site for commercial flights and believe the future airport can operate with similar traffic as Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport, which is located 18 miles north of Panama City.

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