Woodfin To Delta: Birmingham Would Love To Have You

BIRMINGHAM, AL - After Delta Airlines made the decision to end special discounts for National Rifle Association members, the NRA and many of its supporters lashed out at the airline, including Georgia Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, who threatened to block any legislation that would help Delta Airlines.

Delta, which is headquartered in Atlanta, has been seeking a tax break on fuel, and Georgia Republicans moved to kill a bill that would give that tax break. The bill had passed the House last week with the jet fuel exemption included. If the amended measure passes the Senate, the jet fuel proposal could still be added back in a conference committee. Georgia Governor Nathan Deal said the fuel tax exemption could later be added.

The squabble between Georgia Republicans and Delta prompted Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin to reach out to the airline and offer up Birmingham as a possible new home.

Woodfin also issued a statement, saying, “Decades ago, Birmingham lost out on the opportunity to be home to Delta Airlines because we made our own mistakes. Today, I’m stressing that it’s a new day in our community and that Birmingham is open for business. If a state is not embracing their corporate community due to closed-minded politics, Birmingham is just a short flight away. I encourage Delta Airlines to consider Birmingham, where we put people first.”

While Woodfin's invitation might sound far-fetched, the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport has undergone some major improvements under Woodfin's watch thus far. For years, BHM used only the four major airline carriers and offered few direct flights. In February, BHM announced that Frontier Airlines, an ultra-low-cost carrier, will offer nonstop flights from BHM to Denver, Philadelphia and Orlando beginning in April. Also, BHM announced it will transform the residential area that was previously known as Eastwood Manor into a quick turnaround facility for car rental agencies that serve the airport.

Birmingham, decades ago, was in the running to be a hub airport, but airlines such as Delta, Easter and American all chose other cities. Some say Birmingham's high tax on fuel was the reason Delta opted for Atlanta in the 1940s, and Birmingham's bid for Eastern airlines did not pan out, possibly because of the political climate in Birmingham regarding civil rights issues. In the 1980s, BHM courted American Airlines but lost out to Nashville.

(For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Birmingham Patch morning newsletter.)

Many Birmingham natives point to the airport's inability to become a hub airport as a reason why city's such as Atlanta and Nashville have grown and thrived while Birmingham has not. With a new mayor in Woodfin, and a revitalization of Birmingham's downtown area, courting big companies such as Amazon, Delta and others seems - at the very least - more possible today than it would have been 10 years ago.

Woodfin's tweet to Delta, while tongue-in-cheek in nature, might have been a true call to large companies regarding Birmingham's willingness to accommodate.

Photo by Michael Seale