Jackson Mayor Jerry Gist received praise from The Alliance for Aviation Across America in Washington D.C. for proclaiming July “General Aviation Appreciation Month.”
“Mayor Gist’s proclamation helps highlight the economic benefits and valuable service that general aviation provides to the City of Jackson and the State of Tennessee,” Selena Shilad, executive director Alliance for Aviation Across America, said. “We sincerely thank the Mayor and the City of Jackson for recognizing this vital industry.”
Gist said McKellar–Sipes Regional Airport and air service is a vital part of Jackson’s future industrial growth. He also thanked the airport authority board for its hard work.
“It hasn’t been an easy process over the past 17 years, because the federal government has bumped their expectations for regional airports to reach a certain quota of number people flying in and out,” Gist said. “We’ve had some real struggles. They’re a good organization. (They’re) very supportive of the regional airport network and especially our McKellar-Sipes Airport and I appreciate what they do.”
Tennessee general aviation contributes more than $2.5 billion to the state’s economy, according to a news release.