AIR SHOW: Breakthrough possible in negotiations
Apr. 14—TRAVERSE CITY — The small group negotiating the future of the air show at the National Cherry Festival is reporting progress. And now insiders say an agreement could be announced as early as next week, although nothing is guaranteed.
A resolution about the National Cherry Festival Airshow Agreement and 2024 Sponsorship Agreement will be discussed at a special meeting of the Northwest Regional Airport Authority on April 15 at 4 p.m. at the Cherry Capital Airport.
The battle between the National Cherry Festival and the Northwest Regional Airport Authority de-escalated rapidly in recent weeks following two contentious meetings on March 12.
Instead of airing their differences in public, the two parties and their lawyers have been meeting privately to hash out a potential deal that would resolve key differences.
"The information I'm getting is very positive — good vibes," said County Commissioner Darryl Nelson, who also serves on the NRAA board. "It sounds like they are breaking ground."
NCF Executive Director Kat Paye said in a recent email,"Currently, the conversations are ongoing and, once we have more information, we will share [it]. Hopefully, we will have an update soon."
The two sides have been working on an agreement for months regarding how the Cherry Capital Airport will be used during the high-performance aircraft portion of the show.
If an agreement is not reached at least 60 days before the event, the entire air show may be subject to cancellation, NRAA officials said in March, citing a pre-existing policy.
If an agreement can be reached, the air show portion of the festival featuring the U.S. Navy's Blue Angels is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, June 29, and Sunday, June 30, preceded by two short practice periods on Thursday and Friday.
For many years, the air show has been a highlight of the festival, drawing spectators from around the region to enjoy aerial acrobatics by both high-performance jets and lower-speed prop planes.
Cancellation of some or all of the air show would be a major blow to the festival, both in terms of attendance and economic impact, officials said. In 2022, the festival, in total, generated $33.4 million in activity, which supported 320 local jobs, according the festival's most recent community report.
While several issues are on the table, the biggest point of contention seems to be exactly how, when and where high-performance jets can use the airport during the air show, as well as how officials can work together to minimize commercial flight disruptions during that period.
The exact timing of aircraft takeoffs and landings during the air show has been a persistent problem in the ongoing dispute, officials said, as well as how long groups like the Blue Angels can use the airspace on any given day.
In the past, when far fewer flights were landing at TVC, the disruption was less onerous. But times have changed. Passenger traffic at TVC has increased dramatically in recent years, hitting an all-time high of 700,699 in 2023. That surpassed the 2022 total of 582,908 by more than 20 percent.
Closing or restricting commercial flights during the air show would impact the traveling public and airport revenues, as well as relations between the airport and the airlines themselves.
Currently, federal aviation rules require a 5-nautical-mile radius or "safety bubble" from the air show's official "center point" during flights by high-performance airplanes, such as military jets. The center point for the air show currently would be the Coast Guard ship anchored in West Bay on those days.
Because Cherry Capital Airport is just 2.1 miles from that center point, commercial airline flights must be restricted at that time for safety reasons. (Slower, prop-driven aircraft that perform at the air show do not require the same 5-mile safety zone.)
If this flight management issue can be negotiated successfully, most of the other issues between the airport and the NCF seem solvable, officials said.
