(a) Responding to the growth in aviation, the federal government enacted the Airport and Airways Development Act of 1970 to assist state and local authorities in the planning and development of airports of national interest. The general intent of the act was that each state should have a plan for the systematic development of such airports, with federal government participating financially in the preparation of the plan as well as in subsequent facility development.
(b) The Ohio Aviation System Plan (OASP) has been prepared and is updated every five to seven years to guide decision making at the state and local levels. System planning considers the local airport as part of a network of airports which provides air transportation activities for a large area such as a nation, state, or a region. The important factor in system planning is the determination of the general location and function of airports to provide safe and efficient service into the future.
(c) In addition, the OASP provides data on Ohio airports to the FAA for use in evaluating possible inclusion in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS). Inclusion in the NPIAS makes the state's airports eligible for federal development assistance.
(d) Complimentary to the statewide system plan, reliever studies have been carried out to develop more specific system plans for a number of the major urban areas in Ohio.
(e) The Ohio Airport System consists of 110 public use airports, including eight proposed new airports, and two proposed new heliports, for a total of 112 facilities. These facilities are owned by various counties, municipalities, a township, and private individuals.
(Ord. 07-01. Passed 2-15-07.)