When it comes to runway renovations and other projects, officials at general aviation airports in Colorado are especially fortunate, because the state regularly offers proactive financial and technical assistance. The Division of Aeronautics, a branch of the Colorado Department of Transportation, makes resources available to many of the state's 74 public use airports.
Faced with the prospect of an unacceptable delay to reopen a newly repaved taxiway, Orlando International Airport (MCO) got creative. Instead of waiting two or three months for new centerline lights to arrive, the project team pressed ahead last July and used temporary, portable solar-powered edge lights to make the major taxiway functional in just a few hours.
Closing the most-used runway at one of the busiest airports in southern California requires a great deal of advance planning, teamwork and coordination. That was the challenge facing Jess Romo, airport director at Long Beach Airport (LGB), for the first nine months of 2018.
In March 2016, Jeff Huntus, the manager of Medicine Hat Regional (YXH) in Alberta, asked for $12.5 million to replace the airport's main runway. Transport Canada told him not to expect funds until 2018 or 2019. But in 2017, he received notice that the program had been approved'and for $400,000 more than the airport had requested.
Rehabilitating a runway is always a big challenge, and often takes years of planning and fundraising to accomplish. Orlando Melbourne International Airport (MLB) in Florida recently reconstructed all three of its runways in just 14 months.
Officials at Jackson County Airport/Reynolds Field (JXN) in Michigan are pleased with the results of a $49 million runway project completed last fall, because they see it improving operational safety, creating new opportunities to generate more revenue and bolstering the airport's position as a local driver of economic growth.
Key West may be a small town of only 25,000 residents, but it's a thriving tourist spot that's growing in popularity. As a result, passenger traffic at Key West International Airport (EYW) is also projected to rise'to the tune of 2.4% per year for the next 20 years. Airport executives estimate that 750,000 travelers will pass through their island facility by the end of 2018.
When it comes to runway safety, Tucson International Airport (TUS) isn't waiting for an accident or regulatory sanctions to make improvements. It's acting proactively.
After a series of surface-level fixes throughout the years, it was high time the runways and related infrastructure at Oshawa Executive Airport (YOO) in Ontario received the upgrades they truly required. The only question for the project team was how to make up for nearly 80 years of patchwork solutions in just 35 days.
Flagler Executive Airport (FIN) in Palm Coast, FL, recently completed a $12.2 million project to relocate and extend its main runway. In doing so, management remedied several safety issues in one comprehensive construction program.
Building on its mountain of other sustainability programs, Denver International Airport (DEN) tested an environmentally sensitive runway deicer last winter, and initial results were promising.
A $14.1 million runway extension project at Hilton Head Island Airport (HHH) will enhance safety and allow the South Carolina airfield to accommodate larger aircraft. At the same time, the project also offers a practical blueprint for how to address local sentiment that runs counter to FAA recommendations.
