Committee formed to help Sussex Airport

Wantage — A county organization has stepped in to try to keep the Sussex Airport a going concern. The Sussex County Economic Development Partnership, Inc. formed a committee whose role is to help preserve the airport by assisting with the promotion of the property and/or assisting in finding someone to operate or lease it, said the partnership’s president Tammie Horsfield. Horsfield is also president of the Sussex County Chamber of Commerce. The future of the airport has been uncertain since its owner, Paul Styger, 87, pled guilty in May 2009 to embezzling $387,000 in federal grant money that was supposed to be used to renovate the airport. Wantage Township considered buying the airport, but voted down the idea in November 2009, after conducting a feasibility study and after a consultant hired by the township said he believed a municipal-owned but privately-operated airport could result in only a break-even operation. “After hearing the results of the feasibility study and Wantage’s decision not to consider purchasing the airport, Sussex County Economic Development Partnership felt it was important to try to assist in finding a buyer or lessee to help to preserve the airport for the future,” Horsfield said. The airport is for sale while it is operating and Styger remains its owner, Horsfield said. According to Federal District Court records in Newark, Styger was sentenced in January to pay restitution in the amount of $372,233, and was placed on a two-year term of probation. A call made to Sussex Airport to request a comment went unanswered.