The four people running for the two open seats on the Lincoln Airport Authority have widely different backgrounds.
The two Republicans both have aviation experience, with Chris Stokes a current commercial airline pilot and former Air Force Reserve pilot, and Chris Hove having served as a naval aviator.
Hove previously served on the Airport Authority from 2007-2011, while Stokes is making his first run for public office, as are the two Democratic candidates, Vanessa Emlich and Nathan Janulewicz. Emlich also has airline industry experience, having worked for German airline Lufthansa, while Janulewicz has experience in government, working as a legislative aide to Lincoln Sen. Eliot Bostar.
The four are vying to replace Zachary Mora James and Richard Nuernberger, who both chose not to run for reelection.
The Airport Authority has five unpaid members who serve six-year terms. They are tasked with shaping policy for both the commercial and general aviation operations as well as the airport's industrial park and controlling an eight-figure budget.
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The two new members will be joining the board during a time of huge change at the airport, which is poised to open the first phase of its $55 million terminal expansion project right around Memorial Day.
In addition to more terminal space, the expansion also will consolidate the airport's two security checkpoints into one and will add two more gates.
Passenger numbers declined sharply in 2020 and have been slow to rebound, but airport officials are hoping the introduction of a new startup airline, Red Way, which will offer twice-weekly flights to seven cities starting in June, will provide a boost.
All four candidates have said improving commercial air service in Lincoln is a top priority.
Janulewicz called the addition of Red Way "a creative idea by the airport that provides great leisure travel opportunities for passengers."
But he also said the airline will have to prove itself to keep flights filled.
"My priority will remain to attract legacy or business airlines that are connected to national and international networks to provide more opportunities for LNK passengers and Lincoln's economy," Janulewicz said.
The Red Way service is what is referred to as "leisure service," meaning it provides point-to-point infrequent flights to popular destinations.
With the loss of Delta Air Lines at the beginning of 2022, Lincoln now only has one mainline airline, United Airlines, that provides flights to major hubs where flyers can connect to other destinations.
Stokes said reestablishing service from major airlines should be the airport's top priority.
"A Midwestern city cannot thrive nor compete without the basic fundamental requirement of providing reasonable air service for its citizens, businesses, universities and government," Stokes said.
He called it maddening that many cities smaller than Lincoln have three or four major airlines providing flights.
Emlich said that while she believes the airline industry as a whole will continue to struggle due to a host of issues, expanding service is still a "reasonable goal" for the airport.
"One way to do this is by actively pursuing partnerships with local and area businesses," she said. "We should assess, research, plan and clearly demonstrate how an added service could directly financially benefit those businesses."
Whatever the airport does — be it expand the terminal, bring in a new airline or recruit new tenants to the industrial park — Hove said board members need to provide strong oversight to ensure long-term success.
"We not only need a cheerleader to promote these projects, but we need a team to make sure these projects enjoy long-term success," he said, touting his own experience as a former board member and commercial banker.
When it comes to the airport's industrial park, there also have been recent big announcements.
In January, Burrell Aviation of Aspen, Colorado, announced plans to invest $65 million to develop a hub for air cargo and other aviation-related industries.
Then in February, Timpte Inc. announced plans to spend more than $30 million on a new manufacturing facility in the airport industrial park.
Emlich called those two projects "very promising," but also said there's always room for improvement.
"We should explore additional opportunities to converse with more companies to establish long-term partnerships that make the most sense for the space and align with the airport’s strategic plan," she said.
Projects like those two are "an exciting opportunity," said Janulewicz.
"As a member of the board, I will prioritize attracting business projects like this," he said.
Hove and Stokes were a little less enthusiastic in their assessments of the industrial park, however.
Hove said there is "great potential" given the amount of land the Airport Authority owns. But he also said the authority needs to "find ways to better utilize and expand usage of the land both in the industrial park and on the commercial aviation side while not competing with local commercial real estate developers."
Stokes was even more blunt in his assessment, saying the "grossly underutilized industrial park looks like a set from a zombie apocalypse movie."
But Stokes also noted that the industrial park has tons of potential, with streets and utilities already in place and easy access to highways, rail lines and the airport.
"I will work tirelessly with the airport team to relax restrictions to allow easier access to industry," he said.