56
RAMPS  
May | June 2026      AirportImprovement.com
PCW
Patience, they say, is a virtue. 
But there’s also a wise adage 
about answering the door when 
opportunity knocks.
Erie-Ottawa International Airport (PCW) 
in northern Ohio promptly opened the door 
when the FAA knocked with funding to 
expand its cramped aircraft parking apron. 
The subsequent project completed a 
buildout that began in 2020 with 5,000 
square yards of concrete apron. The 
general aviation airport intended to tackle 
the remaining portions in multiple phases 
spanning decades, but instead began 
construction of the 25,200 additional 
square yards in May 2025 and completed 
it all by early November. 
The $7.1 million project was funded 
with a $6.4 million grant from the FAA 
Airport Improvement Program, plus 
$357,552 from the Ohio Department of 
Transportation and another $357,552 from 
Erie and Ottawa counties.
More Traffic, More Parking
The small airfield near Port Clinton, OH, 
exclusively serves business jets and other 
private planes on its two asphalt runways 
(5,646 feet and 4,000 feet long). Even 
without scheduled service from commercial 
carriers, PCW still logs about 50,000 
operations per year. 
Located on the shores of Lake Erie just 
30 miles south of the Canadian border, 
Erie-Ottawa Int’l Tackles Apron 
Expansion in One Fell Swoop
BY PAUL NOLAN
FACTS&FIGURES 
Project: Apron Expansion  
Location: Erie-Ottawa Int’l Airport, 
near Port Clinton, OH
Catalyst: Increased general aviation traffic
Key Benefit: Room to park up to 30 small-engine 
aircraft & 5 larger jets
Project Scope: 25,200 sq. yds.
Cost: $7.1 million
Funding: $6.4 million FAA Airport Improvement 
Program grant; $357,552 from OH Dept. of 
Transportation; $357,552 from Erie & Ottawa counties.
Construction: May-Nov. 2025
Engineering Consultant: C&S Companies
General Contractor: Mark Schaffer Excavating 
& Trucking
Concrete Subcontractor: Smith Paving 
& Excavating

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