The Jackson airport board lately authorized tour expenses for all five of its commissioners and 5 staff person to take a 12-day business experience to the International Air Show in Paris.
Billed as an economic improvement opportunity, the experience becomes unanimously authorized with the aid of the five Jackson Mississippi Airport Authority commissioners at a March 25 board meeting.
For extra than per week, JMAA has no longer answered repeated requests for additional records and documentation. Here are five things to know about the ride to Paris:
How much will the bride price?
The Jackson Municipal Airport Authority’s tour dates encompass five additional days except for the real week of the air show, from June 14 to June 25, for a complete 12 days.
Estimated fees for the 5 staff participants alone involve about $27,000, consistent with the assembly minutes, although how much the ride will cost commissioners became now not documented.
If their costs are comparable, and aside from any journey discounts, JMAA is asking at spending an envisioned $ forty-five 000-$55,000 or more.
The Clarion-Ledger has filed a public facts request for all tour-related documentation for the imminent ride — which includes travel itinerary and receipts.
Where is the cash coming from to pay for the trip?
The Jackson Municipal Airport Authority is funded by using airport sales. Most of that is from passenger spending. The airport also gets federal offers for unique tasks from the Federal Aviation Authority.
It isn’t clear what part of JMAA’s price range is being used to fund the experience.
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Our trips just like the one to Paris commonplace?
JMAA officers have attended the air show in the past; but, it is fantastically uncommon for the entire board and further group of workers individuals to wait.
None of the three surrounding airports contacted by the Clarion-Ledger stated they had comparable tour plans.
Memphis International Airport:
“We clearly haven’t any plans to send anyone there this 12 months, and we haven’t inside the beyond,” stated Public Information Officer Glen Thomas.
“If a person does go on a journey of that magnitude, it is usually the board chair,” he said.
Shreveport Regional Airport:
Mark Crawford, the airport’s public family members manager, stated tour charges at the Louisiana airport are typically related to a particular improvement proposal. He mentioned an experience in 2011 to the headquarters of United Airlines to feature flights to Denver.
In that case, one reputable, the airport board’s chairman, went on a business trip.
Gulfport-Biloxi International airport:
A reliable with the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport stated no individuals of its governing body are traveling to this yr’s air show.
Why are they going?
Records from the March 25 meeting states the experience may be “extraordinarily beneficial” to the authority; however, it does now not say how.
Meeting minutes examine that the air display “will provide a unique opportunity for engagement with all of the monetary, political, institutional and technological global aviation enterprise people and entities in an unmarried venue concerning aviation and financial improvement troubles of significance to the JMAA.”
JMAA commissioners touring the show are Lawanda D. Harris, Lee A. Bernard Jr., James Henley Jr., Robert Martin, and Lucius Wright.
Staffers journeying to the show are JMAA’s leader executive officer, chief working officer, enterprise improvement officer, public relations and customer support manager, and director of capital programming.
The commissioners are nominated by way of the mayor of Jackson and confirmed with the aid of the City Council and serve a 3-yr time period.
