by Kirk Ross
Staff Writer
The House Finance Committee is scheduled to take up legislation today (Thursday) that would allow the University of North Carolina and UNC Health Care to create an airport authority.
Rules for the authority and its structure are contained within the university system’s capital projects bill, which passed the state Senate last week. It would allow constituent institutions of the system and UNC Health Care the right to obtain property and construct and operate an airport.
UNC officials have said they intend to try and find another site for an airport to replace Horace William Airport in order to use land on which the current airport is located for Carolina North.
Since closing the airport was proposed, legislators have been cool to the idea, in part because of opposition by private pilots and in part due to pressure from supporters of the Area Health Education Centers, which has planes based at the airport.
Although there are plans to move AHEC operations to Raleigh Durham International, supporters don’t want to see the program moved unless there is assurance that a closer alternative is going to be available.
The airport authority is expected to pave the way for a formal search for another airport site.