(a) Every municipality is authorized, out of any appropriations or other moneys made available for such purposes, to plan, establish, develop, construct, enlarge, improve, maintain, equip, operate, regulate, protect and police airports and air navigation facilities, either within or without the territorial limits of such municipality and within or without the territorial boundaries of this state, including the construction, installation, equipment, maintenance and operation at such airports of buildings and other facilities for the servicing of aircraft or for the comfort and accommodation of air travelers, and the purchase and sale of supplies, goods and commodities as an incident to the operation of its airport properties. For such purposes, the municipality may use any available property that it may now or hereafter own or control and may, by purchase, gift, devise, lease, eminent domain proceedings or otherwise, acquire property, real or personal, or any interest therein, including avigation easements and easements in airport hazards or land outside the boundaries of an airport or airport site, as are necessary to permit safe and efficient operation of the airport or to permit the removal, elimination, obstruction-marking or obstruction-lighting of airport hazards or to prevent the establishment of airport hazards.

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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 42-5-103

  • Airport: means any area of land or water that is used, or intended for use, for the landing and take-off of aircraft, and any appurtenant areas that are used, or intended for use, for airport buildings or other airport facilities or avigation easements, or rights-of-way, together with all airport buildings and facilities located thereon. See Tennessee Code 42-5-102
  • Devise: To gift property by will.
  • Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Municipality: means any county, incorporated city, or incorporated town of this state. See Tennessee Code 42-5-102
  • Property: includes both personal and real property. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(b)

(1) If the land for a proposed or planned airport is located outside the corporate limits of a municipality, then the municipality shall also gain approval from the county commission of the county where the land is located before proceeding with the acquisition of such land by eminent domain.
(2)

(A) Subdivision (b)(1) shall not apply to any airport that has scheduled air passenger service and a control tower in existence or under construction upon April 27, 1995.
(B) Subdivision (b)(1) shall not be applicable to renovations, expansions or future renovations or expansions of airports in existence on January 1, 1995; provided, that the property to be used for the renovations or expansions is currently owned by the airport or is contiguous or adjacent to property currently owned by the airport.
(C) Subdivision (b)(1) shall apply to any airport not actually under construction on or before January 1, 1995.