Arkansas firm buys Bedford County Airport fixed-base operator as Bun Air Corp. owners step down

Arkansas-based firm buys airport’s fixed-based operator

BEDFORD -- Bun Air Corp. has a new owner, as the fixed-base operator's longtime owners have stepped down from their role at the Bedford County Airport.

According to Tom McInroy, chair of the county's Airport Authority Board of Directors, an Arkansas-based company bought Bun Air Corp. from former owners Jim and Jennifer DeLong.

The company kept the Bun Air Corp. name and took over operations Sept. 1 with Jordan Looney as the new general manager.

During the Airport Authority's budget meeting with county commissioners last Friday, airport manager Jim Veach said Bedford County's pilot training program was also liquidated, as the new FBO wasn't interested in offering it.

"Other than the flight school, from my understanding, nothing is changing," he said, noting that under the new FBO, the airport could be "potentially growing."

However, McInroy said they've been trying to meet with the new fixed-base operator for two months. They're not on-site very often, and they've missed a few recent meetings, he said.

"We're very optimistic with the new FBO," McInroy said. "We just need a chance to sit down and have a conversation."

Veach said he heard the FBO's longtime goal is to move a representative to the area and stay as a permanent replacement for the DeLongs.

"Obviously, the new relationship is crucial to continuing our prosperity," Veach said.

McInroy said they weren't sure about the FBO handoff details, but the board approved it because the lease continued.

"Our role with the transition from Jim and Jenny to the new group is that we just had to approve it, and once they're here, we develop relationships with them that are conducive to the growth of their business as well as the growth of the airport," he said.

"If Bun Air does well, the airport does well," Veach added.

According to Veach, the new FBO owned the private jet that crashed on Oct. 11 in an empty field after takeoff. The plane was sold to Bun Air Corp., he said, and the investigation is still ongoing.

The loss of that jet also financially impacted the airport, losing about $517 in rent plus fuel sales, McInroy said.

Discussing hangars

In other news, Veach said PJ Helicopters Inc. of California is considering building a maintenance facility for its truck fleet and aviation business.

Discussions as of last Friday are still in the preliminary stages, he said, so the airport authority has no definite plans.

"They would build it themselves," McInroy said. "We would just provide ground."

He said the airport loves working with PJ Helicopters and has a great relationship with them. They're hoping to have that same working relationship with the new FBO.

The Bedford Airport is also at their hangar capacity, Veach said, so they're looking into self-funding or leasing the ground so someone else can build the facilities.

"Because of our financial constraints, we're more interested in finding tenants to come in and build, or investors," he said.

McInroy said it can cost $7 million to build a hangar.

They're trying to be more accommodating to companies interested in building hangars so that the airport can provide the ground, he said. Those companies would pay rent to the airport, and eventually the airport would own the hangars and lease them.

"We could accommodate several new hangars," Veach said.

Since 2022, McInroy said they've saved up $125,000 in reserves while working down an inherited $1.6 million deficit from the previous airport authority board.

He said county funding has been "critical in being able to eventually become self-sufficient."

Currently, the county gives the airport authority $45,000. The airport authority plans to provide a budget spreadsheet to the commissioners who are working on a 2027 county budget.

According to the state department of transportation, the Bedford County Airport generates a total economic impact of nearly $8.5 million annually.

In October, county commissioners announced a project outline to use 3,000 square feet of vacant space to house local operations for the USDA.

The DeLongs couldn't be reached for comment.

Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.