JACKSON, Miss. — A federal appellate court has decided to conclude a prolonged conflict regarding governance of the airport in Jackson, Mississippi, leading towards the formation of a new board that will predominantly consist of members appointed by the state. This ruling appears to pave the way for a transition in control over the Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport.

Republican lawmakers advocating for the establishment of the new board argued that the airport necessitates a regional governing body due to its service to a broader customer demographic. On the flip side, opponents of the change claim that white suburban Republicans are attempting to usurp control of an asset traditionally managed by the city’s Democratic leaders, who represent the largely African American community in Jackson.

The dispute dates back to 2016, when a group of Jackson residents initiated legal action against the then-Governor Phil Bryant, alongside several legislative figures, shortly after Bryant enacted a law aimed at forming a new airport governance board. The legal proceedings have since halted any advancements during the ongoing court battle.

The members of the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority became parties to the lawsuit, contributing multiple appeals as the case progressed through the courts. Recently, a panel of three judges ruled for a district court to dismiss the lawsuit, indicating that the city-appointed members of the airport board failed to demonstrate any potential harm from the proposed alterations to the governing structure.

“Groundhog Day has come to an end,” wrote Appeals Court Judge Edith H. Jones in her remarks.

Throughout this legal strife, the control of the airport has remained with Jackson, allowing city officials to appoint a board comprised of five members. According to the legislation passed in 2016 that aims to reshape the governance, the new nine-member airport board will include five members nominated by state leaders: two appointed by the governor, and one each from the lieutenant governor, the Mississippi National Guard adjutant general, and the director of the Mississippi Development Authority. Additionally, the Jackson mayor and the Jackson City Council will each have the authority to make one appointment, as will the supervisors from the suburban counties of Madison and Rankin.