The cities and towns of this State owning or operating a municipal airport, in order more readily to cooperate with the federal government to further national defense, are hereby empowered by their legislative bodies to lease or sell and convey to the United States or any proper department of the United States an airport for use as a government air base for the purposes of national defense and by the lease are hereby empowered to enter into any agreements with the United States or any department of the United States as the United States or the department may require for the purposes of national defense and the legislative body of the municipality may deem just and to grant to the United States the right, title, interest, control, and management for such purposes as the United States might acquire by the right of eminent domain and condemnation proceedings. Provision shall be made in such lease for adequate compensation for any damages that may be caused to private rights or interests in the airport which may arise by reason of the provisions of the lease, and provision shall also be made in the lease for the preservation of the use of the airport for civilian air commerce as the requirements of the government will permit, the purpose of the provisions of this section being to obviate the necessity of the government resorting to condemnation proceedings. In the event that any airport is sold to the United States under the provisions of this section and section 608 of this title for the purposes of national defense, the municipality shall be relieved from any obligations to hold the airport or any part of the airport for public use on reasonable terms and without discrimination. In the event the airport is leased to the federal government for the purpose of national defense, the municipality shall be relieved for the duration of the lease from any obligations to hold the airport or any part of the airport for public use on reasonable terms and without discrimination. (Added 1985, No. 222 (Adj. Sess.), § 2.)