This June, the Jackson County Airport Authority officials at Trent Lott International Airport were joined by community stakeholders and local, state, and federal officials to celebrate the release of “Roadmap: TLIA’s Next 20 Years,” the Airport’s long-term and updated Airport Layout Plan and Noise Analysis focused on long-term growth opportunities. The approved airport layout plan represents input from Airport Advisory Committee Partners including the Jackson County Airport Authority, Airport Director, Jackson County Board of Supervisors, the Jackson County Economic Development Foundation, the City of Moss Point Mayor, Southern Sky Aviation, and Moss Point resident Steve Renfroe.
“Today, we gather for two reasons: to reveal our growth potential through a 20-year organizational roadmap and to announce the transformational North Apron Expansion and Taxiway Connector Project,” said Paul Wilson, Vice Chairman of the Jackson County Airport Authority. “Completing this important layout plan and noise analysis project has allowed us to move forward with adding connector capacity, boosting the airport’s marketability and utilization in our region.”
The North Apron Expansion and Taxiway Connector is an approximate $7 million expansion project designed to add 15,000 square yards of apron space for parking aircraft and provide frontage for the development of new aircraft hangars, as well as 2,700 square yards of connector taxiway to provide access between the apron and the existing parallel taxiway. The project is funded by Local Airport Funding, the Federal Aviation Administration Airport Improvement Program, Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act (RESTORE), and Mississippi Department of Transportation’s Strategic Multi-Modal Investments Fund.
“The Trent Lott International Airport has long been a tremendous asset, aligning well with our strong industrial and defense infrastructure,” said George Freeland, Executive Director of the Jackson County Economic Development Foundation. “From restoration funding to site development grants, we are grateful to our public partners for directing funding to Jackson County’s aerospace assets like TLIA and look forward to seeing the strong return on these investments, such as the North Apron Expansion project.”
“With the completion of the Airport’s approved Airport Layout Plan, we look forward to using this roadmap for the future growth at Trent Lott International Airport and our continued collaboration with the Jackson County Board of Supervisors and Jackson County Economic Development Foundation,” said Cinnamon Snyder, Airport Director. “With their help and the help of our State and Federal partners, the sky is truly the limit.”
Trent Lott International Airport currently has local corporate clients including Northrop Grumman, Chevron, and Omega Protein, as well as Southern Sky Aviation as its Fixed-Based Operator (FBO). The airport location is designated as a Foreign Trade Zone, with more than 500 acres of prime industrial and business park space, a large tarmac, hangar space available for lease, U.S. Customs Service, and rail, water, natural gas, and other utilities available on site.
“The Trent Lott International Airport is one of our key aspect of regional competitiveness,” said Barry Cumbest, Vice President of the Jackson County Board of Supervisors. “We are pleased to celebrate the expansion project and know its completion will generate additional capital investment and economic activity in our region.”
The North Apron Expansion and Taxiway Connector project is anticipated to begin this fall and is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.