SARAA was the culmination of an effort that began in the 1990s by the counties of
Cumberland,
Dauphin, and
York and the cities of
Harrisburg and
York. The counties and cities placed a major emphasis on air transportation that led to a study of the aviation needs of the region. In 1996, the results of the study led to the formation of the Airport Divestiture Group (ADG, chaired by
Robert F. Frazier) to negotiate the divestiture of both
Harrisburg International Airport (MDT) and
Capital City Airport (CXY) from the
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Bureau of Aviation to an independent regional entity. The recipient of these airports was the Susquehanna Area Regional Airports Authority (SARAA, initially chaired by Frazier) which assumed title to, and operation of, the initial pair of airports (MDT and CXY) on and after January 1, 1998. In 2004, the Franklin County Regional Airport, located near
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, was bought by the airport authority. SARAA now operates four airports in the greater Harrisburg metropolitan area. On August 25, 2006, SARAA acquired the Gettysburg Regional Airport (GRA), formerly identified as the Gettysburg Airport and Travel Center. GRA opened in 1926 and had been a privately operated
general aviation service airport. It is located on roughly just outside
Gettysburg,
Adams County, Pennsylvania. ==See also==