Council postpones Azure Flight Support lease after airport users, staff press for more details

The Wicomico County Council on May 20 postponed action on a proposed 20‑year lease with Azure Flight Support SBY LLC to operate as the airport’s fixed‑base operator (FBO), after lengthy public comment and a staff briefing from the airport director.

Why it mattered: Public commenters and based general‑aviation users expressed concern that a single operator might constrain access for independent mechanics who currently service privately owned aircraft at the Salisbury‑Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport. The county’s airport director told the council the proposed lease and the airport’s minimum‑standards document are intended to protect a “level playing field” for service providers, and the lessee’s agreement would include reporting and price‑transparency obligations.

What staff said: Tony Rudy, director of aviation, described the airport’s selection process and the lease’s service‑standard provisions. Rudy corrected one public comment’s technical point, saying the FAA rates airports by passenger enplanements (airline passengers) rather than by general‑aviation movement totals. Rudy said Azure’s proposal met requirements in the county’s request for proposals, that the lease requires reasonable fees and non‑discrimination and that Azure proposed discounted pricing for based pilots.

Public comments and concerns: Clarence Barrett, an FAA‑certified mechanic and long‑time local aviation professional, urged the council to postpone the lease, saying local general‑aviation mechanics had not had enough time to review the proposal and worried that the new FBO would “control everything.” Barrett described the local general‑aviation community as an important source of maintenance and training and said independent mechanics were reluctant to lose access.

Council action and follow‑up: After staff described how the airport’s minimum standards treat specialized aviation services and how private aircraft owners may use their own personnel to ferry aircraft for repair, a council member moved to table action. The motion passed unanimously. Council members asked staff to provide: the proposed FBO’s rate and discount schedules, the lease’s reporting obligations, and specifics about how the minimum‑standards process would allow qualified independent mechanics to operate. The council scheduled a follow‑up briefing before taking a final vote.

Ending: County and airport leaders said they would work with Azure and local users to produce written details about pricing, discounts for based pilots and operational procedures and return to the council with that information at the next meeting.