The Gary and Griffith airports are now under the same ownership. The Gary/Chicago International Airport Authority board Wednesday finalized the purchase of the Griffith-Merrillville Airport for $1.8 million.
Gary Airport Executive Director Dan Vicari said it opens the door to federal grant opportunities for the Griffith airport, while providing more flexibility for the Gary location in the future. "If one day, we become an airport that is nothing but heavier jet traffic, there's a way to take smaller piston aircraft and base them there, instead of here," Vicari explained.
Former Griffith Airport owner Craig Anderson will continue to serve as its manager. As part of the deal, the airport authority will pay Griffith Aviation, Inc. $3,250 per month to manage the facility, plus a five-percent share of the revenue from a 76-unit self storage facility on the airport property.
Vicari said the acquisition took a year to complete, but Anderson noted that the Griffith Airport had been looking for a public sponsor since 2014, when the FAA made it harder for privately-owned airports to qualify for grants.
Gary Mayor Jerome Prince said the acquisition ties in with his administration's goal of boosting the Gary Airport's cargo business. "By this move, we certainly will be able to do that and provide a greater opportunity, not only for the city of Gary, but the entire region to grow and focus on cargo development," Prince said.
But board chair Pete Visclosky stressed that the airport hasn't given up on commercial passenger flights, either. "Everything the employees at this airport do and everything that the board members do is geared toward growing this airport and securing passenger service. . . . It is also geared to growing our cargo operations, and it is also geared to growing our general aviation business, as well," Visclosky said.
The airport has been working with a consultant to attract a commercial airline, but it's taking longer than expected. Vicari suggested that if residents want passenger service in Gary, they should reach out to the airlines directly.
