Atlanta's second airport was an idea being studied by the city of

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

, Georgia, United States.

Studies

In May 2007, the

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...

(FAA) released the report, ''Capacity Needs in the National Airspace System, 2007–2025'' as part of its Future Airport Capacity Task (FACT2). The report identified Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and the

Atlanta metropolitan area Metro Atlanta, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as the Atlanta–Sandy Springs–Alpharetta, GA Metropolitan Statistical Area, is the most populous metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Georgia and the ...

as needing additional capacity by 2025. Following the report release, Atlanta was given a $1 million

federal grant In the United States, federal grants are economic aid issued by the United States government out of the general federal revenue. A federal grant is an award of financial assistance from a federal agency to a recipient to carry out a public purp ...

to study the possibility of adding another airport. Both Atlanta and

Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the List of airlines by foundation date, world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atla ...

, which operates its primary hub there, expressed skepticism about building a second airport because it would be expensive and will likely economically fail, according to Delta. In 2011, the Atlanta Metropolitan Aviation Capacity Study, Phase II was completed by the FAA, the City of Atlanta and a consulting team. The study concluded that

Dobbins Air Reserve Base Dobbins Air Reserve Base or Dobbins ARB is a United States Air Force reserve air base located in Marietta, Georgia, a suburb about northwest of Atlanta. Originally known as Dobbins Air Force Base, it was named in honor of Captain Charles M. ...

was the best site from a market potential and development cost perspective, however, the airspace and environmental aspects were problematic. The second best possible site was

Cobb County Airport Cobb County International Airport - McCollum Field is a public airport located northwest of the central business district of Atlanta, immediately south of the city of Kennesaw in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. It operates 24 hours per day ...

due to its accessibility, yet the high development costs were prohibitive. In 2014, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport unveiled its 20-year Master Expansion Plan to adequately cover the air travel capacity needs in the Atlanta area through 2035.

Alternatives

An additional commercial airport for the Atlanta metropolitan area could be created by expansion of an existing

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

airport, conversion of an air force base or by new construction on a greenfield site.

Silver Comet Field at Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport

In 1975, in anticipation of a second airport, the City of Atlanta purchased of land west of the city in

Paulding County Paulding County is the name of two counties in the United States of America: * Paulding County, Georgia * Paulding County, Ohio Paulding County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was about 18 ...

for . In early 2007 Paulding County purchased of the property for a new

airport (opened in 2009 as Paulding County Regional Airport), however Atlanta's second commercial airport could still be built on the remaining property. Paulding County is unserved by either

rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be c ...

freeways A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms i ...

Dawson Forest

The City of Atlanta also owns of land located southwest of

Dawsonville, Georgia Dawsonville is a city in and the county seat of Dawson County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,536 at the 2010 census, up from 619 in 2000. Dawsonville is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metropolitan Statistical A ...

, which was purchased in 1972 from Lockheed, and was the previous site of the

Georgia Nuclear Aircraft Laboratory The Georgia Nuclear Aircraft Laboratory, also known as AFP No. 67, for Air Force Plant 67 was a United States Air Force test facility located in the Dawson Forest in Dawsonville, Georgia. It was the site of Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed's lab f ...

(GNAL). The property is currently referred to as the Dawson Forest City of Atlanta Tract, and managed by the Georgia Forestry Commission with a

trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. Th ...

system open to the public. The tract is located approximately from the end of limited access on State Route 400 north of

Cumming, Georgia Cumming is a city in Forsyth County, Georgia, United States, and the sole incorporated area in the county. It is a suburban city, and part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. In the 2020 census, the population is 7,318, up from 5,430 in 2010. Su ...

. An area of previously occupied by GNAL was restricted following 1978 testing which found residual

nuclear radiation Ionizing radiation (or ionising radiation), including nuclear radiation, consists of subatomic particles or electromagnetic waves that have sufficient energy to ionize atoms or molecules by detaching electrons from them. Some particles can travel ...

from the experiments performed there. Subsequent studies in 1991 and 1997 found radiation levels to be at or slightly above normal background levels. The property also encompasses Amicalola Creek, which various groups are lobbying to be designated as a scenic river. The forest has also been proposed for use as a major

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

for the city of Atlanta

water system A water supply network or water supply system is a system of engineered hydrologic and hydraulic components that provide water supply. A water supply system typically includes the following: # A drainage basin (see water purification – source ...

Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport

Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (Lovell Field) is 5 miles (8 km) east of downtown Chattanooga, in Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. The airport is owned and operated by the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority., effective O ...

(CHA) officials and a Georgia state senator have proposed expansion of the airport, located in

Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

, as a solution to Atlanta's capacity needs. Sen. Jeff Mullis's idea includes a

maglev train Maglev (derived from ''magnetic levitation''), is a system of train transportation that uses two sets of electromagnets: one set to repel and push the train up off the track, and another set to move the elevated train ahead, taking advantage ...

to connect Atlanta passengers to CHA. Like the

Western and Atlantic Railroad The Western & Atlantic Railroad of the State of Georgia (W&A) is a railroad owned by the State of Georgia and currently leased by CSX, which CSX operates in the Southeastern United States from Atlanta, Georgia, to Chattanooga, Tennessee. It was fo ...

(Georgia's first state railroad), it would be built cooperatively by the state with the help of

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

. Chattanooga's airport currently operates at a small portion of its capacity, but additional capacity would be necessary to be Atlanta's second airport. Expansion would be difficult as the property is currently bounded by significant roads, a railroad line and a creek bed.

Dobbins Air Reserve Base

, located just northwest of Atlanta along

Interstate 75 Interstate 75 (I-75) is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. As with most Interstates that end in 5, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, traveling from S ...

, was originally intended as a second civilian airport prior to

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. However, Dobbins would only be available if a future Department of Defense

Base Realignment and Closure Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is a process by a United States federal government commission to increase United States Department of Defense efficiency by coordinating the realignment and closure of military installations following the end o ...

commission decided to close the base. As of 2015, no additional BRAC commission is planned.

Northeast Georgia Regional Airport

After the announcement of the second airport study, a long-dormant commission created in 1989 by the

Georgia General Assembly The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each of the General Assembly's 236 members serve two-year terms and are directly ...

in hopes of creating a regional airport to northeast Georgia reconstituted itself. The Northeast Georgia Surface and Air Transportation Commission is now planning to create studies for a 20- or 24-gate airport in the region that could provide relief for Hartsfield drawing traffic from Atlanta's northeast suburbs. While the earlier incarnation of the commission narrowed options to the expansion of

Gwinnett County Gwinnett County ( ) is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It forms part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. In 2020, the population was 957,062, making it the second-most populous county in Georgia (after Fulton C ...

Briscoe Field Gwinnett County Airport at Briscoe Field is a municipal airport located about two miles (3 km) northeast of Lawrenceville, Georgia, in the United States. It is owned and operated by the Gwinnett County, in northeastern metro Atlanta. It ...

, the Dawson Forest site, and a site in Jackson County, the new version will consider expansion of the

Barrow County Barrow County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 83,505. The county seat is Winder. Barrow County is included in the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA Metr ...

-based general aviation Northeast Georgia Regional Airport. The facility is extending an existing runway to and although it currently occupies only , there is adjacent undeveloped land for expansion.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Atlanta's Second Airport Proposed airports in the United States 2