Horne appointed to Moore County Airport Authority

The Moore County Board of Commissioners have appointed Eugene Horne to serve as a member of the Moore County Airport Authority, replacing the vacant leadership position following the recent resignation of authority member John Boesch.  Horne, who has lived in Moore County for over 30 years, will now serve a four-year term on the Airport Authority.

Horne, a longtime resident of Pinehurst, is a former executive with The Pantry, Inc. which was headquartered in Sanford.  He retired as president of the company following 25 years with the organization.  Horne later developed several regional convenience stores in North Carolina before officially retiring to Pinehurst.  He has been an active member of the Board of Trustees of Sandhills Community College, where he currently serves as Chairman of the Finance Committee.  Horne was born in Danville, Virginia, and was a Business Administration graduate from East Carolina University in Greenville and is an active croquet and tennis player.  His daughter lives in Raleigh and he has two grandchildren.

“The Moore County Board of Commissioners is pleased to appoint Eugene to serve on the Moore County Airport Authority,” said Board Chairman Frank Quis.  “He has an impressive resume and a keen knowledge of North Carolina, and he has made an incredible impact serving on the Sandhills Community College Trustee Board.”

The Moore County Airport is a publicly owned and operated airport operated for the convenience and benefit of the public by the five member Moore County Airport Authority. The Authority is responsible for the strategic planning, and oversight of day-to-day management the county-owned facility.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as a member on the Airport Authority,” stated Horne. “Throughout my corporate career I have spent a lot of time flying to various airports in the Southeast, and I have visited many FBOs (fixed base operators) in and around North Carolina.  I am excited to learn how I can assist the other Airport Authority members and senior staff to achieve their goals and fulfill their ongoing mission at the Moore County Airport.”

Mike Jones, chairman for the Moore County Airport Authority, was pleased to learn of the Board of Commissioners recent decision to appoint Horne to the Airport Authority. 

“For over 30 years, Gene has watched our community grow exponentially, including the Moore County Airport,” Jones added. “His corporate knowledge of the Southeast and local North Carolina airports will be a great asset upon which the Airport Authority can draw, as we work to make the Moore County Airport the best it can be.”

The Moore County Airport was established in 1929 when the Tufts family, founders and operators of the Pinehurst Resort, opened a dirt runway and named it “Knollwood Airport.”  The airport was acquired by Moore County in 1935 and was later leased to the U.S. Army Air Corps until 1945, when it transitioned from a military airfield to a commercial airfield. 

The Pinehurst-Southern Pines Airport, with Piedmont Airlines as the primary commercial carrier, operated commercial service until the late 1960s.  The airport was renamed the Moore County Airport in 1980, and commercial air service returned in 1991 with CCAir, operating as USAir Express providing round trip service to Charlotte.  Passenger traffic peaked in 1998 with over 50,000 passengers arriving and departing from Moore County.  Commercial service was discontinued following the disasters of September 11, 2001, which impacted commercial air travel around the country.

Today, the Moore County Airport is a vibrant hub for private aircraft and corporate charter flights arriving and departing to and from Moore County.  The airport is operated and maintained by the Moore County Airport Authority, with a mission to be an engine of economic growth and opportunity for the Moore County community and region through the provision of excellent aeronautical support to the visitors, airport tenants, and to the business and military communities.

Courtesy photo/Contributed.

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