About Us

The Carbon County Airport Authority was created as a Municipal Authority on February 15, 1962. The Authority was created to construct, improve, maintain, own, and operate an airport and all facilities and services necessary or incident thereto. The Airport Authority was created by the Carbon County Commissioners. The three Commissioners in February of 1962 were Thomas A. Zimmerman, James J. Dougherty and Ralph E. Mooney. Those three Commissioners appointed the following five individuals to serve the first terms as the Carbon County Airport Authority: Jacob M. Arner, John F. Rhodes, Ira R. Scheib, George H. Bright and John Williamson.

The County owned “Lehighton Municipal Airport” opened in December of 1964. Local aviation pioneer and original Airport Authority Member Jake Arner, passed away on March 3, 1976 and the airport was renamed Arner Airport in his memory on June 26, 1977.