Historic Douglas Municipal Airport Up for Sale

Friday, March 18, 2022 at 10:42 AM ET

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In order to be eligible for grants from the FAA, the airport needs to be part of the National Plan of Integrated Airport System (NPIAS). Douglas Municipal is not. [Douglas Municipal Airport: Save The Airport Facebook Page]

Key Takeaways:

Douglas, Arizona is selling its municipal airport (KDGL) due to the city's inability to fund critical, expensive repairs, particularly a $4.4 million runway reconstruction.
The airport is not eligible for federal FAA grants because it's not part of the National Plan of Integrated Airport System (NPIAS), limiting funding options.
The sale comes with strict conditions for the private buyer, including a mandate to keep the airport open as a public-use facility, complete runway repairs within two years, and respect its historical significance.
The city requires the buyer to repay the state of Arizona $467,000 for past grants and for the property to revert to the city if conditions are not met.

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When you can’t afford to make necessary repairs to something you own, such as your home or your car, one option is to sell it and let the buyer make the repairs. That is essentially what is happening in Douglas, Arizona, where the mayor and city council ordered the staff to appraise Douglas Municipal Airport (KDGL) and seek community input on its potential sale.

“We have received a lot of comments from the community saying not to sell the airport,” said Luis Pedroza, deputy city manager and city treasurer for Douglas. “We have also received feedback from some to develop it, to potentially a fly-in community.”