Yesterday was a day I shall never forget. Sitting with Marla on the first ever United Airlines jet to fly to our beautiful city was surreal – and together we shared prayers of gratitude for God’s favor that brought us to this moment. After landing and being greeted by hundreds of smiling well-wishers celebrating the arrival of the first plane, I watched Airport Director Carl Beasley and Adams County Administrator Mitzi Conn cut the ribbon. In that moment, surrounded by so many who carried this dream for years, I was overwhelmed with gratitude.
Wednesday’s restoration of commercial air service after more than thirty years was far more than one celebration happening at the airport. It was proof of what happens when people work together with persistence and refuse to give up. It’s quite a story. And today, I simply want to say thank you.
Every journey has a beginning, and ours began in 2021 with a simple question: Could Natchez once again have commercial air service? That question led us to Greenville, Mississippi, where dear friend and former Cleveland Mayor Billy Nowell connected us with now dear friend and Greenville Mayor Errick Simmons. Mayor Simmons hosted us along with then-Greenville Airport Director Samuel Washington. We toured the airport, shared lunch, and saw firsthand what commercial air service looked like for a city. We left believing that if they could do it, so could Natchez.
When we returned home, we began working with the existing leadership of the Natchez-Adams County Airport, including then-Airport Commission Chairman John McCullough and then-Airport Director Richard Nelson, as part of an already committed county-led team. Together, we focused on strengthening the foundation needed for commercial service and advancing Federal Aviation Administration grant projects that modernized our airfield and prepared it for the future.
Soon afterward, aviation consultant Jeremiah Gerald joined our effort. From that point forward, Jeremiah guided every phase of this journey – air service studies, federal grant applications, airline recruitment, industry conferences, and countless meetings over several years. His expertise and belief in Natchez were central to making this achievement possible.
In 2022, our vision took a giant step forward thanks to US Senator Roger Wicker. Through his leadership, Natchez became one of the first communities in the nation to receive a US Department of Transportation Small Community Air Service Development Grant. That funding changed everything and gave us the ability to compete for commercial air service.
I also must thank US Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith for her unwavering support and for announcing additional federal funding Wednesday to complete our new terminal. Throughout this process, she has been only a phone call or text message away. I also thank Congressman Bennie Thompson for his support throughout this process.
The support of Governor Tate Reeves has been tremendous. From the beginning, he supported our efforts and helped advance the resources needed for this project. I also thank Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann for his commitment to Natchez along with Speaker of the House Jason White. Our state legislative leaders were supportive as well, including Representatives Robert Johnson, Sam Mims and Angela Cockerham, and Senators Albert Butler and Gary Brumfield.
I also must thank Transportation Commissioner Charles Busby, MDOT Executive Director Brad White, and the team at the Mississippi Department of Transportation. Thank you also goes to Mr. Bill Cork and the Mississippi Development Authority team. Their belief in Natchez helped bring critical funding that made this project possible. Critical also was our team of lobbyists: former Congressman Gregg Harper and his partner Brett Bailey, and early-on, Manning McPhillips. I will never forget how Congressman Harper worked with Senator Wicker during a historic government shutdown to secure TSA approval at the last minute so we could meet our July 1 deadline.
Closer to home, this achievement would not have been possible without Airport Director Carl Beasley, whose decades of FAA experience brought unmatched expertise at exactly the right time. He was a Godsend. Thanks also to County Administrator Mitzi Conn, whose steady leadership helped move this project forward as part of a large team effort involving county, city, state, and federal partners. The nearly $7 million terminal, built primarily with grant funding and delivered in just 17 weeks, is a testament to what can be accomplished when everyone works together.
I am deeply grateful to Supervisor Angela Hutchins, President of the Adams County Board of Supervisors and every member of that board: Warren Gaines, Wes Middleton, Kevin Wilson, and Rickey Gray, for helping make our teamwork happen. Thanks also to our Natchez Board of Aldermen: Valencia Hall, Billie Joe Frazier, Sarah Carter Smith, Felicia Irving, Ben Davis, and Curtis Moroney who supported everything we did as a city to help. I must also mention the Natchez-Adams County Airport Advisory Board including Chairman Dante’ Weir, airport staff, and all others who made this possible. Special thanks to Thrash Commercial Contractors Inc., Waycaster Dungan Architecture and Engineering, Neel-Schaffer, Vasey Aviation, Brett Simon of BSJA, Visit Mississippi, and all professionals who helped transform this vision into a modern terminal in record time – and to David and Betty Paradise who allowed their 10,000 foot hangar to be used for the new terminal.
Thank you also to Chandler Russ and Natchez, Inc. He helped tremendously in securing federal and state funding. A must mention is Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten, whose leadership ensured airport security operations were fully prepared. Working closely with TSA, his team has been invaluable. And we must not forget Aimee Guido, Lynsey Gilbert, Alexander Romei, Visit Mississippi and Visit Natchez for their promotion of this new service. Thanks also to Vidal
Blankenstein, Kit White and Michael Wilson who helped with promotion for the city, and also to local media outlets who ran many stories and are continuing to report on this great news for Natchez! Special thanks to my Executive Assistant Richard Burke – I don’t know what we would have done without him.
Finally, thank you to SkyWest Airlines and United Airlines for believing in Natchez. Your investment is more than a new route—it is a vote of confidence in our future! This service is already changing how we connect to the world. Residents can park steps from the terminal, check in at home, pass quickly through TSA, and connect through Houston to destinations across the globe, all on a single ticket. Now comes our responsibility. If we use it, support it, and believe in it, it will grow.
As I reflect on Wednesday, I am reminded that history is written by people who refuse to give up, partners who trust one another, and leaders who work together instead of apart.
In closing, I want to thank my wife and First Lady, Marla, who never doubted for a single moment that we would reach this day. Through every meeting, every setback, and every victory, her faith never wavered.
Yesterday, a plane landed—and we now have proof of what happens when we never give up. Because Natchez Deserves More.
To book your next flight, visit www.FlyNatchez.com.
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