Jerry Orr

Internal Documents Show CMPD's Tisdale Report Sparked Airport Rift

Julie Rose — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:19:56 +0000

At first blush, there’s a lot about the power struggle over Charlotte’s airport that makes no sense. After all, both sides in the debate agree the airport has done extraordinarily well under the city’s control. So what’s happened?

A mysterious death, for one.

And WFAE has reviewed internal airport documents that cast doubt over much of what we thought we knew about that incident.

Airport Recycling Begins Pay Off

Julie Rose — Fri, 03 May 2013 13:17:27 +0000

The Charlotte airport made $185,000 recycling trash from travelers and fast food restaurants in the terminal during the last six months.

That's a fraction of the nearly $2 million it cost to set up the new onsite recycling facility, but Aviation Director Jerry Orr expects the program to break even within five years. He adds that sorting and selling recyclable paper, plastic and aluminum isn't the only financial perk of the program.

Airport Advisory Committee Gets Active In Authority Debate

Julie Rose — Thu, 02 May 2013 19:59:29 +0000

The Charlotte Airport's volunteer advisory committee has turned a new leaf. Their monthly meeting on Thursday featured far more discussion and direct questioning of Aviation Director Jerry Orr.

Orr Breaks His Silence On Airport Authority

Julie Rose — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 01:26:51 +0000

Charlotte Aviation Director Jerry Orr has broken his months-long silence on the subject of creating a regional authority to oversee the airport.

Council Grills Airport Advisory Chairman; Dorsch Stonewalls

Julie Rose — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:25:13 +0000

Charlotte Airport Advisory Committee Chairman Shawn Dorsch took 90 minutes of questions and sharp criticism from the city council Monday, but declined to answer most queries regarding his role in the controversy over control of Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

Citizens Cite City's Role In Airport Success; Director Orr Disagrees

Julie Rose — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:23:24 +0000

"Don't fix what's not broken," was the theme of a small public hearing held last night by the consultant hired to delve into the ongoing struggle over control of the Charlotte airport. But Aviation Director Jerry Orr didn't quite agree with the views expressed at the meeting.

Security Shift Feeds Tension Between City/Airport

Julie Rose — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 19:18:00 +0000

The current debate over creating a regional authority to oversee the Charlotte airport has made for frosty relations between city officials, who oppose the move, and Aviation Director Jerry Orr, who is for it.

But internal emails show things have been tense for some time. WFAE's Julie Rose has gone through some 400 pages of emails and documents related to the city manager's decision last year to put CMPD in charge of airport security. She spoke with Morning Edition Host Duncan McFadyen:

Airport Authority Bill Moves Forward

Julie Rose — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 01:32:56 +0000

A bill to place the Charlotte Airport under control of a regional authority surmounted a major hurdle Tuesday afternoon - state senators voted 33 to 16 in its favor. WFAE's Julie Rose spoke with All Things Considered Host Mark Rumsey about the progress of the measure.

RUMSEY: Julie, this bill is moving fairly quickly – despite pleas from Charlotte's mayor, city council and even Governor McCrory himself to slow down. What's driving this?

Airport Advisory Committee In The Dark About 'Authority' Debate

Julie Rose — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 22:29:46 +0000

A bill to place the Charlotte Airport under the control of a regional authority – rather than the city of Charlotte – has been delayed another week so lawmakers can gather more information on its potential impact. On Tuesday, the airport's own advisory committee acknowledged it, too, is in the dark about what such a change might mean.

Once a month 11 volunteers appointed by the mayor and city council meet to basically rubber stamp Aviation Director Jerry Orr's spending plans. Orr's real bosses are the city manager and council.

The Philosophy Behind Charlotte Airport's Success

Julie Rose — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 09:00:00 +0000

One claim keeps coming up in the debate over transferring control of the Charlotte airport to a regional authority and the speculation over what a merger between American and US Airways will mean for Charlotte. That claim is that Charlotte is the cheapest place for airlines to do business. WFAE wondered whether that's true and why it matters.