An airport marketing plan that proposes maintaining Drake Field as a regional air carrier airport won the endorsement of a Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce committee Friday.
The chamber Economic Development Committee voted 17-1 to accept a subcommittee motion encouraging the chamber's board of directors to formally adopt a Fayetteville Airport Marketing Plan approved by the Fayetteville City Council in November 1995.
The plan was drafted by a chamber subcommittee as a blueprint for economic development of Drake Field following the opening of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport in rural Benton County.
The City Council amended the document, establishing the retention of passenger service as the top objective of the plan.
Jim Crider, the chamber's economic development director, said the plan never came back to the chamber for formal endorsement.
"There was no perceived immediacy," Crider said. He said in the meantime the city's Airport Advisory Board had occupied itself with hiring a marketing coordinator to carry out the plan. Rudy Furr was selected to fill the position at the airport last year.
Crider said a proposal was made at a recent meeting to bring the marketing plan "through the process" and to the board for ratification.
The Chamber of Commerce has also gone on record supporting the proposed regional airport. Asked if adopting the marketing plan might conflict with the chamber's earlier stand, Steve Ward, chamber president and chief executive officer said, "I have some concerns about that," but declined to elaborate.
Crider said the apparent conflict was discussed at the committee meeting Friday.
Ward said he planned to review the marketing plan and address the matter at the board's next meeting April 21.
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