Regional airport's potential confirmed by the experts

There's nothing anyone can say that would change the minds of those Mahoning Valley residents who view the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport as little more than a financial black hole. Fortunately they are in the minority.
Most people in this region share the opinion that the airport has the potential of becoming a major catalyst for job-creation, given the proper planning and marketing.
That view was confirmed last week by representatives of two consulting companies that have experience with smaller airports.
& quot;What is clear here is, you have a great facility and you have a lot to work with, & quot; said Jeffrey Lehman, president of OBN Worldwide Partners Inc. of Washington, D.C.
OBN and GPC International, also of Washington, have been hired by the Western Reserve Port Authority to evaluate the Vienna Township facility and identify potential passenger service for the airport and prospective tenants for the industrial park that is being developed next to the airport.
The consultants are being paid $70,000 and are expected to present their recommendations to the airport authority in three months.
Just a start: As we noted in an editorial last year, the $40 million worth of improvements at the airport, the development of an industrial park on adjacent land and the construction of a highway interchange amount to very little if airlines, air travelers and businesses are kept in the dark about this jewel.
Indeed, given all of the problems plaguing major airports around the country, the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport could meet the needs of some airline or fit into the federal government's scheme for developing additional airports.
But while public support for the Youngstown-Warren airport remains strong, as evidenced by the $454,263 that Mahoning and Trumbull county governments are allocating this year for the operation and maintenance of the facility, members of the airport authority must know that the clock is ticking.
What's needed: The airport needs to become self-sufficient sooner rather than later. If the wrong people get elected to the board of commissioners in the two counties, the financial backing for the airport will end.
That is why the consultants are so important.
We would urge the companies to present a no-holds barred report that answers these questions: Does the Valley need a full-service airport? Is the current management structure adequate to guide the facility's future development?