Military airfield conversions: a survey of issues that influence the planning process

This research is centered on military bases with airfields which were closed as a result of the downsizing of the US military. An interview survey was conducted to determine the type of issues involved in planning the conversion of those military airfields to civilian airports and whether those issues were common among airfield or isolated at a few bases with similar characteristics.Financial issues, particularly conversion costs and long-term operating expenses,were cited as the most critical issues in the airfield conversion planning process. Few Cases were conversions at the time when a new airport was needed in the region. Manymore, however, were converting the facility to a civil airport hoping to attract aviation related businesses. Environmental issues were less prevalent than expected, primarily because the military occupant of the base is responsible for cleanup.For future conversions, the aviation market must be examined carefully in order to determine short- and long-term potential. Funding sources need to be identified in order to keep the airport operational until such time that it is financially self-sufficient.