CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Industrial activity around Southeast Tennessee is showing up in increased flights to the Cleveland airport, officials say.
Crystal Air is contracted to operate the airport at Hardwick Field. Spokesman Taylor Newman told the Cleveland Municipal Airport Authority on Friday that more company aircraft are using the facility.
“Given what is happening with Whirlpool and Wacker [Chemical] and others, we are seeing some more aircraft,” Newman said. “I’m sure there’s some traffic into Chattanooga and driving up here, too. So it’s an indication of what might be or what will be.”
Whirlpool is building a new, larger factory in Cleveland and Wacker Chemical is planning to build a $1 billion plant in north Bradley County.
The city is building a new airport on Michigan Avenue in the Tasso community, and the airport authority is looking at moving there in two years.
But authority members aren’t sure what to do about several abandoned airplanes that must be removed from Hardwick Field before the authority can sell the property. The authority can’t just seize them and tow them away or sell them.
Gloria Malone, a retired Cleveland public works assistant director who is assisting the Airport Authority with the issue, said she has been talking with a state attorney.
“He said there is a process we will have to go through, like with abandoned property,” she said.
“We would have to try to find the owners and send them a letter. We will have to research a little more before we can say it becomes property of the authority or whatever.”
Contact Randall Higgins at rhiggins@timesfreepress.com or 423-314-1029.