WALL – The Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners have announced its plans to assess the Monmouth Executive Airport.
The County has hired international aviation consulting firm, Merchant Aviation, LLC, to perform a comprehensive business feasibility analysis of the airport. The analysis will entail a full examination of the conditions, safety, and finances of the airport.
According to the county officials, the airport has been declining for years. Improvement to its infrastructure or facilities has been very minimal.
“Representatives from the County have heard disturbing reports from a variety of sources about the condition of the airport and its supporting facilities,” Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone said. “I recently toured the airport and came away with my own, serious concerns, both about safety at the airport and its financial viability. We are hiring Merchant Aviation to determine if the airport could be better run and maintained under County ownership.”
As a full-service aviation consulting firm, Merchant Aviation has provided feasibility and planning studies to some of the top aviation projects in the US and across the globe. They’ve worked on the Westchester County Airport Master Plan, Newark Liberty International Airport Long-Term Redevelopment Plan, and the San Francisco Domestic Terminal Redevelopment Plan.
“We are honored to have been selected by Monmouth County to conduct the feasibility study for Monmouth Executive Airport,” said Joel Couillandeau, CEO of Merchant Aviation. “This is a significant opportunity for us to leverage our expertise in aviation planning and development to help determine the future of this important regional airport. We look forward to collaborating with the county and key stakeholders to develop a comprehensive analysis to preserve this airport for the Monmouth County community.”
The airport was originally built in 1938 by Ed Brown who was a self-taught aviator and Navy pilot. Over time, the airport offered private plane chartering along with skydiving and other services.
Ed Brown passed in 2006, and in 2013 a consortium known as Wall Aviation finally was able to purchase the airport from the Brown family, according to Monmouth Jet Center’s website.
The first phase of the assessment project will calculate the airport’s current condition and grasp a better understanding of its current finances related to the business operations as well as any needed upgrades.
“I want to be crystal clear; no decisions have been made related to the county’s disposition towards the airport,” Arnone said. “This is another step in the process of collecting information and assessing our options as it relates to an important and valuable county asset. That said, whatever decision we make will be after a thorough and deliberative process, and with the best interests of Monmouth County residents and the airport’s future in mind.”
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