IMMEDIATE

Contact: Carla L. Firestone, Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority Communications Director
Mobile: 419-260-9981

PORT AUTHORITY AIRPORTS DIRECTOR ACCEPTS POSITION WITH BLUE GRASS AIRPORT

TOLEDO, Ohio, January 29, 2009 – The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority announced today that Eric Frankl, Airports Director, will resign effective February 13, 2009 to accept the position of Interim Executive Director with the Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky. Interim Port Authority President Paul Toth will oversee operations on a temporary basis in conjunction with Steve Arnold, Director of Maintenance, Operations and Safety. Toth was the Airports Director for several years prior to Frankl taking the position in November 2006.

“Eric brought a wealth of aviation knowledge to the Port Authority and to our community and he set many policies and business practices that our airports will benefit from for years to come,” says Paul Toth. “We wish him great success on this new and exciting endeavor.”

Toth will meet with the Toledo-Lucas County Board of Directors in the near future to discuss next steps regarding permanent responsibility for all aspects under the authority of the Airports Director.

“This is a great opportunity, but it doesn’t come without mixed emotions,” says Eric Frankl. “I’m grateful for the relationships that I’ve built and the opportunity the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority provided.”

During his tenure Frankl completed a master plan for Metcalf Field and a conceptual plan for industrial and air cargo development at Toledo Express. He also oversaw the completion of the last terminal improvements at Toledo Express along with a number of taxiway and ramp improvements at both Toledo Express and Metcalf Field. Frankl developed a new business arrangement with the fixed base operator at Metcalf Field, renegotiated a number of corporate leases including an operations agreement with the Air National Guard and made a number of changes to the organization structure of the Port Authority’s aviation operations.

The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority manages the two major aviation assets in the region, Toledo Express Airport and Metcalf Field. Both assets are owned by the city of Toledo and leased to the Port Authority, which has responsibility for day-to-day operations of both facilities. Toledo Express Airport supports commercial airline activity as well as general aviation activity and is home to approximately 30 on-airport businesses. The airport is frequently used to support business-related activities and is home to numerous corporate flight departments and supports several flight schools. The airport serves as the base for the 180th Fighter Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard. BAX-Schenker, an air cargo carrier, utilizes the airport as its national hub.

Lexington's Blue Grass Airport serves over one million passengers each year and occupies approximately 1,000 acres. The airport is owned by the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Airport Corporation, a public, non-profit organization established pursuant to Kentucky Revised Statutes. It is operated by the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Airport Board, a 10-member board of directors appointed by the mayor of Lexington and confirmed by the Urban County Council. The airport offers commercial flights to destinations worldwide and also provides a variety of corporate and general aviation services.

The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority’s business is transportation. That business is shaped by our mission to move people and cargo through the region while employing innovative finance programs to stimulate economic development. For more information, please visit www.toledoportauthority.org.