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Military, civilian representatives discuss MCRA proposals
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Civilian Joint Management Board leaders met with Fort Stewart Garrison Commander Col. Kevin Milton on Thursday to discuss progress on projects and future proposals for the MidCoast Regional Airport/Wright Army Airfield.

MidCoast Aviation Services, a recently formed flight group that spoke before the civilian board during a meeting last month, made another presentation about the services it would like to offer on-site, which include aviation instruction and running a Computer Assisted Testing Service center.

The CATS testing center would offer Federal Aviation Administration knowledge tests and would have the potential to offer tests for culinary and chiropractic certifications and more, MidCoast Aviation Services cofounder Kathy Boykin said.

Rick Mansford, airfield operations officer, mentioned that another flight school, Coastal Empire Flight Training Academy, recently discontinued its operations at the airport.

MidCoast Aviation staff also provided the board with copies of a letter of support from Rep. Jack Kingston, who wrote: “At present there are not CATS testing facilities in the immediate area for use by a variety of trades and certifications … I hope that it is able to move forward if deemed worthy by all parties involved.”

Mansford said he and his team would conduct a cost-benefit analysis study and make a recommendation to Milton within the next couple of weeks.

Officials also discussed the runway extension project, which is on the list of Transportation Investment Act referendum projects in the Coastal Region that will be voted on July 31, 2012. If the 1 percent sales tax passes, approximately $6,060,000 of the tax revenue would go toward the extensions of runway 6/24 and taxiway C.

“The reason it’s so important to pass is because if it doesn’t pass, we know we’re not going to get much federal money,” Hinesville Mayor Jim Thomas said. “If we get the sales tax passed, we can begin construction a whole lot quicker.”

The earliest stages of the project, such as feasibility and environmental impact studies, are under way, according to county airport consultant Michael Thomas, who works for Wilbur Smith Associates. The project should go into design in the spring.
In other news:
• The airport will host a barbecue fly-in Oct. 8 to show support for its pilots and users, according to Randy Bisgard, director of training with ABS Aviation, the airport’s fixed-base operator.

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GPA grows trade, market share
Intermodal volume up 20 percent
port photo
Rubber tired gantry cranes handle cargo at the Chatham Intermodal Container Transfer Facility at the Port of Savannah. The Georgia Ports Authority's Mason Mega Rail project will double rail lift capacity to 1 million containers per year by 2020 - photo by Provided

The Georgia Ports Authority achieved 14 percent growth in March container volumes, moving 355,208 20-foot equivalent unit (TEU) containers.

From July 2017 to March, TEU container trade grew by 9 percent, or 255,786 additional units for a total of 3.08 million, a new record for Savannah.

"Savannah's continued strength is a reflection of our customers' commitment, Georgia's leadership, and the many dedicated service providers, GPA employees and ILA members who come together every day to achieve great things," said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch. "March marked our 17th consecutive month of business expansion thanks, in part, to a strong economy and growing market share."

Intermodal rail volumes jumped by 20 percent in March and 15.4 percent for the fiscal year to date, for a total of 318,454 containers handled over nine months – another record for the GPA.

"As the numbers show, our rail cargo is growing at a faster pace than our overall trade," GPA Chairman Jimmy Allgood said. "This is important because rail is playing a key role in our responsible growth strategy. We anticipate our rail infrastructure investments to take 250,000 trucks off the road each year by 2020."

The GPA recently broke ground on its Mason Mega Rail Terminal, on which the Port of Savannah will build 10,000-foot unit trains within its own footprint. From the expanded rail infrastructure at Garden City Terminal, Class I rail providers CSX and Norfolk Southern will provide direct rail service to major Southeast and Midwestern markets from Memphis to St. Louis, Chicago to Cincinnati.

An added benefit is that the Mason Mega Rail project will move all rail switching on terminal – improving vehicle traffic flow around the port.

In August, the GPA will open its Appalachian Regional Port in Murray County. Located in an industrial belt, including the production and export of carpet and flooring, automobiles and tires, the ARP will provide an alternative to all-truck transit to Northwest Georgia.

Each round-trip container moved via the Appalachian Regional Port will offset 710 truck miles on Georgia highways.

March was also a strong month for roll-on/roll-off auto and machinery units at the Port of Brunswick and Ocean Terminal in Savannah. Colonel's Island Terminal in Brunswick handled 66,144 cars, trucks and tractors, while Ocean Terminal added 4,050, for a total 70,194, a 17.2 percent increase.

"The global economy is thriving and our volumes are following suit," Lynch said. "As existing accounts grow their footprint in the expanding auto facility in Brunswick, Georgia's competitive logistical advantages are drawing additional business across all of our docks."

Lynch noted that for the fiscal year to date, Mayor's Point breakbulk terminal in Brunswick grew by 44 percent (34,515 tons) to reach 112,728 tons of forest products. At East River Terminal, bulk cargo expanded by 34 percent July-March (189,918 tons) for a total of 750,384 tons.

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