Airfield is Open at New General Aviation Airport in Kentucky

“A mile of road will take you a mile, but a mile of runway will take you anywhere,” sums up the conception and construction of Gallatin County Regional Airport (8GK) in northeastern Kentucky. When officials cut the ribbon on its runway last summer, the state’s 58th general aviation airport was officially open for business, even though the terminal and other key facilities are still in the works.

With a population of less than 8,800 and only 101 square miles of land, Gallatin County, KY, may seem like an unlikely candidate for a completely new airport. But it’s situated in the “Golden Triangle” between Cincinnati, OH; Louisville, KY; and Lexington, KY. It had also been on the radar of federal and state aviation agencies for nearly three decades as a good location to add a much-needed airfield for corporate and other general aviation traffic.

Goodwyn Mills Cawood is the airport planner and engineering consultant that helped make that idea a reality, and Mark Paslick, now the firm’s aviation manager, has been working on the project from its conceptual start back in 1998. Paslick explains that the Kentucky Division of Aeronautics (later renamed the Kentucky Department of Aviation) wanted an airport to fill a service gap near Interstate 71 to serve industry along the Ohio River, including steel plants such as North American Stainless and Nucor Steel, as well as other large corporations like Dow Chemical. Eventually, 8GK was developed as a potential reliever airport for corporate aircraft operating out of Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) and Louisville International Airport (SDF).

John “Spike” Wright has been involved with the 8GK project since 2003—first as Gallatin County Attorney, and now as a member of the Airport Board. “Once it was determined to build the airport where it is, the location was secured and there was excitement,” he recalls. “But when it came to money, the excitement died. Then it got revived, then died.”

In 2008, Paslick and his team felt it was an opportune time to revitalize the project. “There was still a hole in the Kentucky Aviation System, along an important economic corridor (Interstate 71 between Louisville and Cincinnati) that was being underserved by aviation,” he explains. “The businesses and industries along River Road and the Belterra Casino continued to show significant economic growth, and there were a large number of registered aircraft owners within a two-county radius of Gallatin County.”

Jim Hansen, Planning and Zoning administrator for Gallatin County, offers a tongue-in-cheek explanation of the final outcome: “In reality, it was a game of musical chairs. This [airport] project bounced up and down I-71, and we happened to be in the right location when the music stopped.”

Negotiation, Not Condemnation

Gallatin County is a rural community filled with family farms. So acquiring more than 650 acres needed for the airport project was an extended process.

“We had five landowners involved, and it took over a year to finalize purchase of property. But it was nine years (2008 to 2017) from the push to revitalize, in 2008, to closing on the land,” Paslick recalls.

Wright, who was Gallatin County Attorney from 2003 to 2022, assisted Paslick and other Goodwyn Mills Cawood personnel in the land acquisition.

Paul Steely, the firm’s aviation leader in Kentucky, notes that it is generally difficult for airport boards to understand how long these projects take and to sustain the necessary enthusiasm. “You may be looking at 20 years. If building an airport was easy, every county would build one,” he relates. “Gallatin County Fiscal Court appoints at least six board members, and you hope that they stay together for many years.”

Steely also brought perspective to the project as the state’s previous Aviation Commissioner and former Kentucky Aviation Association president.

Paslick notes that working with the state of Kentucky to issue bonds in the county’s name was a complex undertaking. “To make 8GK work, all landowners had to come together to agree. And they did.”

Acquiring the land through negotiation was much preferred to condemnation, the legal process governments can use to take private property for public use. Steely was glad for the successful outcome, saying, “General aviation is not really known for condemnation. It is much better to negotiate with landowners.” The acquisition of property was not only a significant step toward the airport’s development, but also demonstrated the commitment of the state and Gallatin County to the success of the project.

Negotiations for property that gives the airport direct access to I-71 were particularly crucial. “There is so much upside for this airport with this location and excellent access,” says Paslick.

Funding

The price tag to date for 8GK is about $44 million. Federal funding provided $25.5 million, the state contributed $18 million and Gallatin County paid $55,500.

County representatives and Goodwyn Mills Cawood worked together to secure funding for each phase of development. To qualify for FAA funds, a new airport site must be identified on the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS), and building a new general aviation airport typically spans at least three construction seasons. Goodwyn Mills Cawood helped the county apply for FAA Airport Improvement Program funding for each year of development. The first application for federal grants occurred in the 2018-2019 funding period, and subsequent submissions of federal and state funding applications for eligible projects is ongoing.

The main sources of revenue for the airport will be land leases, rental income and fuel sales.

Current and Future Construction

When it finally came time to break ground, airfield infrastructure was the top priority. Site prep and installation of the 5,000-foot runway, parallel taxiway and 500-by-350-foot aircraft apron began in 2020. Bizzack Construction from Lexington performed excavation and grading work, with crews moving 1.53 million cubic yards of earth from rolling hills on the site.

Having such a long concrete runway and full-length taxiway is noteworthy for a general aviation airport like 8GK. Because airfield work began during the COVID-19 pandemic, bids for concrete and asphalt pavement were very close; so the county and its project team opted for longer-lasting concrete. The Harper Company
of Hebron, KY, processed, poured and paved 85,857 square yards of concrete, 10 inches thick to create the mission-critical surfaces.

Since the June 2023 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the airfield, plans for a fuel farm, terminal building and 10-unit T hangar are moving toward construction on various timetables.

Hansen reports that funding for the fuel farm was released this summer, and excavation work for the terminal area and fuel pad has been completed. The system will have two 12,000-gallon tanks (one for Jet A, one for low-lead avgas), but fuel won’t be flowing anytime soon due to long lead times for various components. Naturally, this frustrates the airport and project team, given the vital nature of fuel sales.

Acquiring the 650 acres needed for the new airfield required negotiations with five separate landowners.

In other developments, excavation for the future ramp area was completed in July, and the winning bid for a 10-unit T-hangar has been selected and awarded. A construction date is contingent upon the release of a federal grant for the hangar this fall, but Hansen anticipates the airport’s first hangar will be ready by late next summer.

In Kentucky, hangar space is currently in short supply. As a result, 8GK already has a waiting list of more than 30 interested parties.

“The real challenge is that hangars for smaller aircraft come in a common configuration that accommodates 10 aircraft and costs between $750,000 and $1 million,” Hansen says.

Although hangars are typically not a high priority for federal Airport Improvement Program grants, there is an asterisk in FAA literature noting that they may be conditionally eligible at non-primary airports. So there is hope for 8GK. That said, long lead times for building materials and associated construction delays are likely, which means the airport will have to wait to begin collecting lease payments.

Design work on the terminal building is entering the final stages. Hansen hopes it will be out for bid by year-end and operational by fall 2025.

Local Management

Jon Ryan Morris is airport manager at 8GK. The role coincides with his duties as judge-executive of Gallatin County—an elected four-year position that is essentially chief executive officer of the county, without judicial powers despite how the title sounds. Morris, who suspended his service as a local police officer after being elected, is the fifth county judge-executive affiliated with the airport. There is no limit to how many times a candidate can be re-elected to the position.

For now, Morris’ day-to-day duties at the airport are relatively limited since the runway is the only major infrastructure in place. But traffic is growing, and the airfield already logs 60 to 70 operations per month despite its lack of terminal facilities and fuel.

Hansen notes that the airport board may consider an FBO or other hybrid management arrangement as the terminal, fuel farm and other crucial assets come online. The size and function of the management team will depend on how quickly the airport grows, he adds.

Education and Job Creation

Early on, community leaders recognized that the airport could be a tremendous resource for local youth. Morris is particularly excited about the educational and employment opportunities it will offer the county and wider region.

Conversations with the local school revealed similar enthusiasm, and committees were formed to develop aviation-related curriculum and technical training. New content might be incorporated as soon as this school year.

Morris notes that jobs associated with 8GK could help Gallatin County retain citizens who might otherwise move away for such similar opportunities.

To that end, flight schools, aircraft maintenance providers and the military have approached county leaders about possibly establishing a presence at the new airport. Hansen reports that military operations could include personnel and materials associated with C-130 aircraft.

Optimism Soars

Dovetailing on the educational and economic benefits, Wright is open to considering vertical lift operations such as industrial drones and air taxis. “Being in the center of the Triangle, we would be foolish to not consider these,” he says.

“Airports are economic magnets. It’s going to grow in ways we can’t comprehend now,” adds Steely. “8GK is ideally located for growth that filled a hole that was identified many years ago. This will be a strong general aviation airport.”

Morris agrees: “We are in the right location at the right time. We have so much here—waterway traffic, interstate, rail and now air.”

By adding another key transportation option, the new airport’s “mile of runway” could cement a path to prosperity for Gallatin County. Stay tuned for news about the terminal and other facilities as they are completed.