Britain to Dulles to Penn Twp., manager loves aviation
The new manager of the Pittsburgh-Butler Regional Airport isn’t winging it when it comes to the future.
“I want to grow the airport correctly and at the right pace,” said Michael Biggs, who took his seat in the main office Aug. 19.
Biggs, who grew up outside South London and worked at a small airport before earning a bachelor’s degree in aviation management, moved to the United States 11 years ago.
He most recently worked as the contracting officer’s technical assistant and project manager at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority in Washington, D.C.
That authority oversees Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Biggs said on Thursday that he was responsible for all the runways and taxiways at Dulles.
He likes the vision of the Butler County Airport Authority, which is to make the airport user-friendly and a place for all community members, not just pilots.
“We want people to come here and enjoy aviation,” Biggs said.
He also hopes teachers throughout the county will bring classes to the airport in the interest of sparking curiosity in aviation among young people, who could then be trained as airplane mechanics or pilots.
“We are going to see how we can get students interested in aviation. That’s huge,” he said. “I’m really going to push that.”
Biggs loves being at the airport, where he finds like-minded people every day.
“There are a lot of passionate people here who love aviation,” he said. “They’re in their hangars every day.”
He got to fly recently to a meeting with one of the airport authority board members in the well-appointed cabin of a Beechwood King Air plane, which he greatly enjoyed.
“I felt like a rock star,” Biggs said with a chuckle.
Biggs plans to spend the remainder of 2022 learning about the airport and community before he begins considering bigger ideas for the facility.
Biggs, who is in the process of finding a house, also appreciates the Butler County community in general.
“Everyone is very friendly and nice to talk to,” he said.
Mike Walsh, chairman of the Butler County Airport Authority, which operates the airport, said Biggs’ experience at a large airport like Dulles will come in handy in Butler.
“He is used to dealing with the (Federal Aviation Administration),” Walsh said. “That’s where we get most of our funding.”
He added that retired airport manager Ike Kelly did an outstanding job for many years with a limited budget. But Biggs’ approach will no doubt be different.
“I think he’s going to do fine,” Walsh said.
