The Connecticut Airport Authority won't have to search for a new chief now that the authority has offered a new, five-year contract to its current executive director.
Kevin A. Dillon, hired as the authority's first executive director in 2012, said Monday he has withdrawn his application for an airport management job in Florida after being offered the new contract in Connecticut.
Dillon said he sought the Florida post because his current, five-year contract in Connecticut was set to expire in July — and it wasn't clear if or for how long Dillon's current contract would be extended.
"I was very interested in staying in Connecticut," Dillon said Monday. "There is a lot more that we can do."
Dillon said said his top priorities include further airport route development. A month ago, Aer Lingus launched its first, non-stop flight from Bradley International Airport to Dublin, returning a direct, trans-Atlantic flight for the first time in eight years.
In addition, the authority plans to look to continue adding services and amenities at Bradley and the state's five general aviation airports. At Bradley, Dillon said he hopes to add a valet parking service.
The authority is still interested in bringing a casino to Bradley, even though withdrew two prime sites: a new, $225 million transportation center and the site of the old — now demolished — Terminal B.
Dillon said Monday the airport has over 300 acres of potentially developable land for the casino. The authority has not heard from the joint venture of the Mashantucket Pequots and Mohegan tribes since the Oct. 15 deadline for a second round of proposals.
The tribes are seeking to open a gambling venue in north central Connecticut to compete with a $950 million casino and entertainment complex now under construction in Springfield by MGM Resorts International.
Dillon was a finalist for the post of executive director of the Lee County Port Authority. The port authority runs Southwest Florida International Airport and Page Field.
In Connecticut, Dillon's contract had provisions for renewals. Dillon's current annual salary is $300,510, an authority spokeswoman said. His starting salary in 2012 was $270,000.
The state created the Connecticut Airport Authority to manage Bradley and five general aviation airports in the state. The authority's goal is to make the state's airports, especially Bradley, more appealing to new airlines and to persuade airlines to add routes in Hartford to support economic development in the region.
