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The Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority (SARAA) is the governing authority of Harrisburg International Airport, Capital City Airport, Franklin County Regional Airport and Gettysburg Regional Airport in south-central Pennsylvania. SARAA was incorporated on September 9, 1997, and officially took over control of HIA and CXY airports from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on January 1, 1998.
History
SARAA was the culmination of an effort that began in the 1990s by the counties of Cumberland, Dauphin, York and the cities of Harrisburg and York. The counties and cities placed a major emphasis on air transportation that led to a study of the aviation needs of the region. In 1996, the results of the study led to the formation of the Airport Divestiture Group (ADG) to negotiate the divestiture of both Harrisburg International Airport and Capital City Airport from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Aviation to an independent regional entity.
In 2004, the Franklin County Regional Airport, located near Chambersburg, Pennsylvania was bought by the airport authority. SARAA now operates four airports in the greater Harrisburg metropolitan area.
On August 25, 2006, SARAA acquired the Gettysburg Regional Airport (GRA), formerly identified as the Gettysburg Airport and Travel Center. GRA opened in 1926 and had been a privately operated general aviation service airport. It is located on roughly 47 acres (190,000 m2) just outside Gettysburg, Adams County, Pennsylvania.