Staff Photo by Allison Kwesell
Mark Hudson stands in front of a building of airplane hangers at the Dalton Municipal Airport. The airport has 20 new hangers.

DALTON, Ga. — Two new hangars that can house 20 aircraft are ready at the Dalton Municipal Airport for when an improving economy puts the rug back under the region’s top industry.

“Flying is a benefit to more than just pilots,” said Frank Hobbs, a member and former head of the city’s airport commission. “It is an economic tool that brings business to the local community.”

The floor covering industry and Dalton have been slammed by the economic downturn, but all will improve at some point, and better general facilities are waiting at Carpet Capital Aviation Inc., officials said.

Mr. Hobbs said it is hard to “put a dollar number” on how much communities benefit from having an airport. As with many government services, though, it contributes to the overall development of a city and the surrounding area, he said.

Though Dalton is suffering more than most cities, its pilots are not going away.

“We have about 40 aircraft based here,” said Mark Hudson of Krystal Aviation, which has had the contract to manage the airport since September. “The recession has not caused a drop in demand for hangar space and the number of locally owned aircraft has stayed about constant.”

The two new metal hangars equipped with rolling doors can each shelter 10 aircraft and will replace four hangars, he said.

“The evolution of the airport has found us with some hangars that have outlived their usefulness,” Mr. Hobbs said.

Hangar buildings are considered a money-making operation, so they do not qualify for federal or state funding. Instead, the city used Special Purpose Local Option sales tax revenue for them.

The Dalton City Council last week approved monthly rental rates of $175 per plane for hangars without office space and $250 per month for those offering more than a place to park and lock the aircraft.

Mr. Hobbs said the $400,000 cost of the hangars should be paid off in about eight years. After that, they will generate revenue for the city.

The current lull in flights allows time to replace, repair and refurbish security systems, hangars and the 5,500-foot runway, Mr. Hobbs said.

And while corporate flights might be in a tailspin, “The demand for flight training has skyrocketed,” Mr. Hudson said.