New Smyrna airport director outlines National Guard relocation, $13 million runway rebuild and June Blue Angels air show

Evan Lester, the new executive director of the Smyrna‑Rutherford County Airport Authority, told the Smyrna Town Council that the airport is preparing for a large increase in activity tied to a planned Tennessee Air and Army National Guard relocation and a major airshow this summer.

Lester described the airport as “an FAA part 139 certificated airport,” one of eight in Tennessee with that certificate, and said the field supports corporate and recreational aviation with two runways (an 8,038‑foot runway and a 5,500‑foot runway) and roughly 1,700 acres of airport property. He said the airport sold more than 2.5 million gallons of fuel last year and logged about 20,000 annual operations.

Lester said the Tennessee Air and Army National Guard has selected Smyrna as its preferred relocation site from Nashville International Airport and that the move will require selling a small parcel of airport property to the Guard. He said the airport is “currently working through that right now with the Federal Aviation Administration and the TDOT Aeronautics division.” Lester cited an economic‑impact estimate prepared by Guard studies that projected roughly $1.93 billion in capital and operational impact over eight years and said the relocation will bring more Guardsmen and additional business to Smyrna.

He reviewed recently completed and planned capital work: a full $13 million reconstruction of Runway 11/9 that reopened after 13 months of work; an upcoming reconstruction of the main 8,038‑foot Runway 14/32 (estimated at $30–$40 million total project cost), relocation and reconstruction of Taxiway A for safety, and a site selection and funding effort to replace the 71‑year‑old air‑traffic control tower. Lester said the FAA’s national coordinator for tower siting will identify the tower location by August, and design funds have been set aside.

Lester also described business development on the field: more than 51 businesses on the airport property, headquarters and maintenance facilities for Contour Airlines, fixed‑base operators and recent aircraft interior/maintenance operations. He said the airport’s industrial park and business tenants generate a multi‑million‑dollar annual economic impact for the town and county.

Lester reminded the council that the Great Tennessee Air Show will return in June with the U.S. Navy Blue Angels as headliners; he said organizers expect about 25,000 people per day and that ticket sales were strong. He also highlighted community events such as the Wings of Freedom Fish Fry and an upcoming Tuskegee Airmen mobile exhibit at the airport.

Council members asked questions about runway reconstruction schedules, construction phases and how operations would be affected. Lester said the main runway project will be phased so one runway can remain open during much of the construction; one center‑section shutdown would require a roughly six‑ to eight‑week full field closure. He said the larger runway reconstruction phases may total 10–12 months of construction spread over phases but that the airport would coordinate closely with FAA and TDOT to minimize impacts.

Mayor and council members praised the airport team and acknowledged the field’s role as a regional economic asset.