The chairman and vice chairman of a northern Kentucky airport board are in Italy this week at a cost of at least 20-thousand dollars for a three-day conference, but the board is defending the expense.The Kentucky Enquirerreports that Kenton County Airport Board chairman Jim Huff and vice chairman Larry Savage are staying for 12 days. They intend to repay the airport for expenses incurred when not at the conference.Documents obtained by the newspaper through an open records request show the first-class airfares for Huff and Savage totaled nearly $15,000. Admission to the conference for airport chief executive officers and human resources officials cost nearly $1,500 apiece, and the conference hotel costs nearly $240 a night before taxes.The airport board defends such travel. It says attending conferences allows members to better understand airport development issues.The board oversees operation of the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.The airport gets most of its money from airline landing fees, but also receives federal funding for projects. The airport board is considered a governmental agency.
