Airport Master Plan 2012 - City of Waterville

effectiveness of each program identified can provide WVL with a snapshot of “lessons learned” at other
Airports through their own efforts at improving their best practices.
It should be noted that regardless of what best practices WVL may undertake, these practices can only
provide guidance for the safe and efficient operation of the Airport, and cannot supersede any Federal,
State, or local laws, rules, or regulations.
Legal Requirements & Ramifications of Joint Ownership / Management
Ownership and management of an Airport can come in many forms. Often what works at one Airport will
not always work at another. In some instances, the ownership and management of an Airport is
effectively run by a single municipality, and others find that sole ownership and management of an
Airport does not serve the best interests of the Airport or community at large.
Several types of Airport ownership exist. They include:
Sole Ownership/Management: A single government entity (State, county, or municipality)
who exclusively owns the Airport and is responsible for all operational, financial, and
maintenance needs of the Airport, including but not limited to the day-to-day operation of the
Airport, facilities maintenance, and fueling.
This is the current structure that WVL operates under.
Joint Ownership/Management: Traditionally consists of two or more governmental
agencies whereby both entities share the ownership and responsibility for the operation and
upkeep of the Airport. In most states, joint ownership of an Airport requires codification into
State law. The most common joint ownership relationships are:
- Municipal/Municipal;
- Municipal/County; and
- County/County.
An example of this type of agreement is Auburn Lewiston Municipal Airport.
Sole Ownership/Agency Management: An arrangement whereby a government entity
retains ownership of an Airport, but creates a quasi-independent agency that is responsible for
the operation and upkeep of the Airport. Usually this form of ownership is seen in multiple
Airport systems that are owned by a State.
The Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC) is an example of this type of arrangement.
Sole Ownership/Private Management: A single government entity maintains ownership of
the Airport, but contracts with a private enterprise (in some cases Fixed Base Operators) to
maintain and operate the Airport. Traditionally, the government entity also maintains its
financial responsibility. This is most common at commercial and larger general aviation
Airports.
An example is Westchester County Airport (NY), who currently contracts with AvPorts to maintain
and operate the Airport.
The City of Waterville Maine
Airport Management Structure Assessment – Page 7-18
Airport Solutions Group, LLC & The Louis Berger Group, Inc. December 2011