County Board of Commisioners and Owner will work together on future improvements
By Stephen Appezzato
WALL – The tense standoff between Monmouth Executive Airport owner Alan Antaki and the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners over the future of the airport has ended, as both parties agreed on a framework for future airport maintenance and initiatives.
Following a meeting between both parties, the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners introduced a resolution March 13 that ended its exploration into acquiring the airport and made a commitment to work with Antaki to enhance airport operations and ensure ongoing service.
“Preliminary findings from our outside consultant Merchant Aviation, together with recent positive updates, give us the assurances we needed,” said Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone in a statement.
In September, the governing body authorized an up to $180,000 contract with Merchant Aviation for a feasibility analysis of the airport.
“In the last five months, we have learned that Mr. Antaki has secured the financing to retire his outstanding debt, received a $1M grant for repairs and enhancements to the airport’s runway, and has made a commitment to ensure the airport remains an airport for years to come,” Arnone continued.
As part of the recent state budget that was introduced, Monmouth Executive Airport was granted $1 million from the state Department of Transportation for repairs and enhancements to the airport runway, which both parties welcomed.
In a separate statement, Antaki said he was relieved the “16-month ordeal initiated by the County Commissioners” appears to be over. “This has been a very difficult time for my family, my employees and I – both economically and psychologically,” he said.
Antaki purchased the 850-acre Monmouth Executive Airport, formerly Allaire Airport, in 2013 from the estate of Ed Brown, a self-taught aviator and Navy pilot who built the airport in 1938. Over the years, Antaki’s company, Wall Herald Corporation, spent money revamping the airport to cater to modern private jets.
In 2023, the Board of County Commissioners began exploring an acquisition of the airport and greenlit assessments of the property, exploring “possible alternatives to preserve the airport.” The following year, county officials conducted inspections of the property, which they said had “languished for years” with “little being done to improve its infrastructure or facilities.”
Antaki, alarmed by the move, was adamant he had no intention of selling or developing airport property and vowed to continue operations and improvements. In the following months, the two parties were at a standoff.
“With the county’s decision to withdraw its claim on my property, I can resume my dream to make the airport into the first-class facility I have always dreamt it would become. Instead of investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in lawyers, I can now invest millions in the airport,” Antaki said. “My goal has always been to continue making the airport safer, while growing the airport as an economic engine for Monmouth County and surrounding areas. I look forward to now making that dream a reality,” he added.
With the matter put to rest, both parties have be- gun a new collaborative relationship, floating ideas like a joint program between the airport and Brookdale Community College to provide students with hands-on training for careers in airport operations.
“I want the airport to continue to be a community resource and hope to work with local governments to help further the interests of young people in aviation careers,” Antaki said.
According to the county, other topics that were discussed include granting the county a right of first refusal to “ensure the property remains an airport for generations to come.” A right of first refusal is a legal provision that grants a party an exclusive chance to purchase or lease a property before the owner can negotiate with other potential buyers.
Both parties also discussed creating additional community programs to enhance public engagement with the airport, supporting the MedStar program – the county’s emergency medical service – and the county providing a letter of support to advance financing opportunities for airport runway and taxiway improvements and the construction of new hangars and amenities. Merchant Aviation has also been directed to conclude its report, which officials expect will identify other collaborative opportunities.
“This meeting marked an important step forward in our path to securing a brighter future for Monmouth Executive Airport,” Arnone said.
In his statement, Antaki noted, “The government threat of the use of eminent domain” to acquire private property and business is “an awesome and frightening display of government power against an individual.” Eminent domain should be used sparingly and only as a last resort, he said.
“My family and I want to thank all of the Monmouth County residents who supported us through this very unsettling time,” he said.
“Obviously, the Board of Commissioners and I were able to resolve matters proactively: Had the issues been amicably resolved sooner a lot of money, time, and anguish could have been saved,” he added.
Looking to the future, Antaki also expressed hope the new collaborative relationship with the county could lead to an introduction to Netflix management. As the global entertainment company continues pursuing the establishment of Netflix Fort Monmouth, Antaki said the airport could supplement the film studios by having a “mini-aviation studio” for the company’s aviation genre of films.
The article originally appeared in the March 20 – March 26, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
