Question of airport control creates contentious exchange

The normally smooth monthly business meeting of the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority ran into self-induced turbulence this morning over the longstanding issue of recruiting more international flights to Tampa International Airport.

The session produced raw exchanges involving new board member Steven Burton, a managing partner of Broad & Cassel's Tampa office, and Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, also an aviation authority board member.

Burton began the meeting, his fifth since Gov. Charlie Crist appointed him to the aviation authority board earlier this year, by making a motion on an item of business that was not on the agenda. Burton proposed creating a committee to focus on airport marketing with himself as chairman, in addition to two members of the airport staff and possibly others.

The committee would meet monthly on issues involving airport marketing, in particular addressing the issue of the few international flights Tampa International has been able to recruit and retain.

At various points, Burton said Tampa International director Louis Miller's interpretation of a consultant's air service report on international flight demand was a "misrepresentation" and that Burton was the recipient of a "Heisman Trophy stiff arm" in trying to get information in one-on-one meetings with Miller.

Miller responded that in addition to discussions with Burton, he had given him a loose leaf binder with all the information airport officials have generated with regard to stimulating international air service at Tampa.

Miller said airport marketing was different from air service development, which an Air Service Committee made up of business officials and airport staff addresses.

"You have to have something before you can market it," Miller said.

Burton said the air service committee didn't meet frequently enough.

"If the airport has an arts committee, why not a marketing committee?" Burton said.

He said "tens of tens" of people in the community, including several who have vigorously pushed for more international flights recruited with some form of subsidy for airlines, have contacted him about the international issue.

Board member Joseph Diaco, also a newcomer on the board, said Burton should have been applauded for his proposal to create a marketing committee, although up to the point the exchanges had been civil.

After Hillsborough County commissioner and authority board member Ken Hagan -- who has received $4,000 in campaign contributions from Burton and his law firm since 2002 -- sided with Burton and Diaco in creating the board over the objections of Iorio and longstanding board member Al Austin, Iorio spoke.

She said she objected to Burton launching the meeting with a matter not on the agenda along with proposing that he run the committee and name its members along with when it would meet.

"...Mr. Miller would be losing control of one of the best run airports in the nation," Iorio said, saying the committee proposal was disrespectful to the airport director.

In the past, the aviation authority has eschewed incentives to airlines, preferring to let market demand dictate service that airlines have been reluctant to try, in particular during the poor economy of recent years.

And no one in the local community has stepped up with ideas of how to generate funds to pay incentives to airlines, if that concept were approved.

Tampa International has year-round international service to Toronto, London and the Cayman Islands along with service to Puerto Rico.