News Summary

DAYTON — Dayton International Airport officials say they still hope to lease a former air cargo building that has been vacant since United Parcel Service closed an air freight operation there in 2006.

It is among the goals listed in the airport's new business plan of various strategic objectives for the next two to seven years. The plan is to be shared with airlines, business leaders, and officials of Dayton and neighboring local governments.

UPS remains interested in working with the airport to sell the air cargo building but there have been no takers, and the economic downturn complicates that effort, company spokesman Norman Black said Tuesday, Jan. 6.

The 1.2 million-square-foot air freight terminal was formerly owned by Menlo Worldwide Forwarding, a company that United Parcel Service acquired in December 2004. UPS closed the freight operation there in 2006 and has no interest in retaining the building long-term, but is committed to paying the maintenance costs and other obligations until it is sold off, Black said.

Airport officials want the building to continue in aviation use, for cargo or aircraft maintenance, given its size and location along a runway at Dayton International, said Iftikhar Ahmad, Dayton's director of aviation.

UPS pays the airport $642,000 annually for the lease on the airport land the terminal occupies, Ahmad said.

"They have told us that they are not averse to getting a cargo facility in there," Ahmad said of UPS.

Industry consultants have told him that the total yearly costs of maintaining the building, including security and operating costs, would be about $4 million annually, Ahmad said.

Black said he would not comment on the specific annual operating expense.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.