Published: April 25, 2008 02:41 pm            

Down, but not out — Airport optimism continues to fly high

It’s been a turbulent year for the Mercer County Airport. When Colgan Air ceased passenger service at the facility last November, many feared a devastating domino effect of economic development losses.

While the skies over the airport’s future are not completely sunny yet, the clouds have parted in the past weeks and months to allow sunbeams of hope to shine through.

The latest ray of optimism came last week in the form of more than a quarter-million dollars in federal funding for improvements in the terminal building and runway.

The federal grant, totaling $311,240, was announced Wednesday by West Virginia Senators Robert C. Byrd and Jay Rockefeller, and U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, D-W.Va.

The money will fund much-needed improvements to the airport terminal, including upgrading the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system and replacing windows, as well as the rehabilitation of airfield lighting.

Additionally, the funds will allow the Mercer County Airport Authority to update their Airport Master Plan to help meet present safety and capacity needs and plan for future growth.

The award of this money to the Mercer County Airport underscores the optimism of local and state authorities in the eventual restoration of air passenger service at the airport.

Just two months ago, Susan Chernenko, director of the West Virginia Department of Transportation’s Aeronautics Commission, outlined plans to the Daily Telegraph to meet with airlines and/or air charter companies that would possibly be willing to provide commercial air service to the region.

At that time, state lawmakers said hopes were to restore air service to the region by Sept. 1.

In addition to this news, airports throughout West Virginia received the hope of a potential economic boost when Gov. Joe Manchin signed Senate Bill 265 into law.

The legislation creates a new property assessment formula that substantially reduces the amount aircraft owners will pay for keeping an aircraft in the state.

“This is a tax incentive for all these entities to bring those aircraft back to West Virginia and have much less of a tax burden,” Secretary of Revenue Virgil Helton reported in early April. “This can generate fuel sales, create work for aircraft mechanics and create construction to build new hangers. It’s really a development bill.”

Rounding out the latest good news for the airport was the symbolic ground-breaking ceremony held earlier this month for the new headquarters of the county’s Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol. Construction of this new facility, which will include a meeting room for cadets, restrooms, flight operations, a radio room, a kitchenette, hangar, supply room and multiple offices, is currently ongoing at the airport.

We are hopeful the recent round of prosperous news surrounding the airport will continue in the coming weeks, months and years.

The loss of air service to the county was, and continues to be, an economic challenge. However, we have proven that “down” does not have to be synonymous with “out.

        

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