2023 Code of Alabama › Title 4 - Aviation. › Chapter 3 - Airport Authorities. › Article 1 - General Provisions. › Section 4-3-11 - Powers of Authority Generally.

Section 4-3-11
Powers of authority generally.
The authority shall have the following powers, together with all powers incidental thereto or necessary to the discharge thereof in corporate form:
(1) To have succession by its corporate name for the duration of time (which may be in perpetuity) specified in its certificate of incorporation;
(2) To sue and be sued in its own name in civil suits and actions, excepting actions in tort against the authority;
(3) To adopt and make use of a corporate seal and to alter the same at pleasure;
(4) To adopt and alter bylaws for the regulation and conduct of its affairs and business;
(5) To acquire, receive, take and hold, whether by purchase, gift, lease, devise or otherwise, property of every description, whether real, personal or mixed, whether in one or more counties and whether within or without the corporate limits of any authorizing subdivision, and to manage said property, and to develop any undeveloped property owned, leased or controlled by it;
(6) To execute such contracts and other instruments and to take such other action as may be necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes of this chapter or the exercise of any power granted hereunder;
(7) To plan, establish, develop, acquire, construct, enlarge, improve, maintain, equip, operate, regulate and protect airports and air navigation facilities, whether in one or more counties and whether within or without the corporate limits of any authorizing subdivision, including the acquisition, construction, installation, equipment, maintenance and operation at, or in connection with, or in furtherance of the use of such airports of sanitary and storm sewage systems and water, electric and gas systems, buildings, hangars and other facilities for airlines and the servicing of aircraft or for the comfort, use and accommodation of air travelers and the purchase and sale of supplies, goods and commodities as are incident to the operation of its airport properties;
(8) To construct, acquire, establish, improve, extend, enlarge, reconstruct, equip, maintain, repair and operate heliports, aerial aircraft (by whatever name such may be known) landing, loading or storage areas and transportation terminals, whether in one or more counties and whether within or without the corporate limits of any authorizing subdivision;
(9) To construct, acquire, establish, improve, extend, enlarge, reconstruct, equip, maintain and repair buildings, structures and facilities, suitable for use as manufacturing plants, industrial plants, retail shopping areas or centers, parks, exhibits, exhibitions or for the conduct of any lawful business at, upon or adjacent to any airport, heliport or aircraft landing area owned or operated by such authority, whether in one or more counties and whether within or without the corporate limits of any authorizing subdivision, and to lease or let such buildings, structures and facilities or any one or more of them to such tenant or tenants for such term or terms, at such compensation or rental and subject to such provisions, limitations and conditions as the authority may require or approve;
(10) To furnish or supply upon any airport, heliport or aircraft landing area owned or operated by or under the jurisdiction of the authority, to persons and aircraft thereon, for reward or compensation, goods, commodities, area facilities and services convenient or useful to the owners, operators and users of aircraft, and to persons upon said airport, heliport or aircraft landing area, including, but without limiting the generality of the foregoing, food, lodging, shelter, lawful drinks, confections, reading matter, oil, gasoline, motors and aircraft, motor and aircraft parts and equipment, space in buildings, space for buildings and structures and the services of mechanics, instructors and hostlers;
(11) To confer upon individuals, firms, corporations or companies, for reward or compensation, the privilege or concession of supplying upon any airport, heliport or aircraft landing area owned or operated by or under the jurisdiction of the authority, all or any part of the goods, commodities, things, services and facilities in subdivision (10) of this section authorized to be supplied;
(12) To acquire (by eminent domain and otherwise), establish, construct, expand, own, control, equip, improve, maintain, operate and regulate satellite airports or landing fields for the use of aircraft in the state, whether in one or more counties and whether within or without the corporate limits of any authorizing subdivision;
(13) To acquire by purchase, gift, devise, lease, eminent domain proceedings or otherwise, existing airports and air navigation facilities, whether in one or more counties and whether within or without the corporate limits of any authorizing subdivision; provided, however, that the authority shall not acquire or take over any airport or air navigation facility owned or controlled by any county, city, town or public agency of the state, or any one or more thereof, without the consent of such county, city, town or public agency;
(14) To issue interest-bearing revenue bonds payable from the limited sources hereinafter referred to;
(15) To pledge for payment of such bonds any revenues and funds from which such bonds are made payable;
(16) To make and enter into contracts, leases and agreements incidental to or necessary for the accomplishment of any purpose or purposes for which the authority was organized;
(17) To exercise the power of eminent domain in the manner and subject to the provisions of Title 18 of this code with respect to any property, real, personal or mixed, whether in one or more counties and whether within or without the corporate limits of any authorizing subdivision, including air space, avigation easement, structures and obstructions to flights and property already devoted to public use that may be reasonably necessary for the construction, extension, maintenance, operation, protection, enlargement, improvement or preservation of an airport or airport facility or sanitary or storm sewage systems, water, electric and gas systems upon, adjacent to or in connection with or for the furtherance of the use of any airport, heliport, aircraft landing area or other properties owned or operated by the authority;
(18) To appoint, employ, contract with and provide for the compensation of such officers, employees and agents, including engineers, attorneys, consultants, fiscal advisers and such other employees as the business of the authority may require, including the power to fix working conditions by general rule and other conditions of employment and at its option to provide a system of disability pay, retirement compensation and pensions, or any of them, and to hire and fire servants, agents, employees and officers at will;
(19) To fix, establish, collect and alter landing fees, tolls, rents and other charges for the use of any airport, heliport, landing area, building, structure, facility or other property owned or controlled by the authority;
(20) To make and enforce rules and regulations governing the use of any airport, heliport, landing area or airport facility owned or controlled by the authority;
(21) To provide for such insurance, including use and occupancy insurance, as the board may deem advisable;
(22) To invest any funds of the authority that the board may determine are not presently needed for its corporate purposes in any obligations which are direct general obligations of the United States of America or which are unconditionally guaranteed as to both principal and interest by the United States of America or in bonds of this state or any county, city or town therein;
(23) To cooperate with the state, any county, city, town, public corporation, agency, department or political subdivision of the state, and to make such contracts with them or any of them as the board may deem advisable to accomplish the purposes for which the authority was established;
(24) To sell and convey any of its properties that may have become obsolete or worn out or that may no longer be needed or useful;
(25) To receive and accept grants for or in aid of the construction, extension, improvement, maintenance or operation of any airport, heliport or airport facility from the United States of America, or any agency thereof, and from the state, any department or agency thereof, and any political subdivision thereof, and to receive and accept money, property, labor or other things of value from any source whatever;
(26) To purchase equipment and supplies necessary or convenient for the exercise of any power of the authority;
(27) To appoint, employ, contract with and provide for compensation of such security officers and guards as the authority shall deem necessary for the protection of all facilities under the control or supervision of said authority and all persons using such facilities. All such security officers shall be conservators of the peace and shall have and exercise all powers and authorities of peace officers in this state. Jurisdiction over all misdemeanors committed on the property of the authority shall be vested in the courts of any city that is an authorizing subdivision. If there is no authorizing city, such jurisdiction shall be vested in any county that is an authorizing subdivision; and
(28) To enter into a management agreement or agreements with any county, city or town in the state for the management by the authority of any airport, heliport, air navigation facility or other facility useful to the authority, whether in one or more counties and whether within or without the corporate limits of any authorizing subdivision, upon such terms and conditions as may be mutually agreeable. Nothing herein shall be construed to authorize the acquisition by eminent domain of any real property or rights owned or held by railroads or utilities, both public or private.
(Acts 1963, No. 265, p. 696, §7; Acts 1971, No. 2251, p. 3614, §1.)