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MARTINSBURG -- The Altoona-Blair County Airport Authority is recommending use of a New York company with an office in DuBois for engineering services.
The authority has long depended on Delta Airport Consultants, a Richmond, Va., company with an office in Harrisburg, for engineering services.
With Delta's current five-year contract ending in 2021, the authority convened a public meeting Monday afternoon to interview representatives of three companies interested in providing engineering services.
Based on the presentations, the authority named McFarland Johnson as its first choice, Delta Airport as second choice and The EADS Group, headquartered in Altoona, as third choice, authority member and treasurer Seth Smith said during the authority's monthly meeting.
The selection of the engineering firm to advise the airport authority, airport Manager Tracy Plessinger said, will rest with the Federal Aviation Administration based on its ability to negotiate satisfactory rates for engineering services.
If the FAA fails to settle on satisfactory rates with McFarland Johnson, then it will begin negotiations with Delta, Plessinger said. If that doesn't work out, then it will begin negotiating rates with The EADS group, Plessinger added.
The FAA handles the rate negotiations primarily because it typically covers about 90% of engineering expenses associated with airport improvement, maintenance and long-range plans.
The McFarland Johnson firm's presentation included information about its experience with stormwater management and runway rehabilitation work, Smith said.
McFarland Johnson, with corporate offices in New York, describes itself as a full-service office with aviation, environmental and civil engineering services. The company announced the opening of the DuBois office in October 2019.