Federal funds likely for county airport runway

During his final meeting before retirement, Sussex County County Administrator David Baker presented county council with some good news. He told council Dec. 13 transportation officials could provide partial funding to help the county reach its goal of extending the county's airport runway to 6,000 feet.

Baker has been working with county staff and state and federal officials for months to develop a funding plan for the nearly $25 million project at the Georgetown airport.

Baker said DelDOT Secretary Shailen Bhatt informed him the project qualifies for $3 million in federal highway funds, which is half of the $6.3 million anticipated cost of realigning Park Avenue – the road around the airport – to make way for the longer runway. The county has already received approval of more than $8 million in federal funds for expansion to 5,500 feet, but the FAA would not provide funds for another 500 feet, leaving the county responsible for putting together a funding plan to complete the entire project.

“We do not have the federal funds in hand, so it's not a done deal yet,” Baker said, but he's optimistic federal funds are forthcoming.

If all sources of federal and state funding come to fruition, the county will still be responsible for nearly $12 million to complete the total project. Council voted 4-0 to submit a grant proposal in conjunction with PATS Aircraft through the state's economic development infrastructure fund to help cover those costs. Baker said the proposal is still a work in progress and he could not say how much the county would request.

PATS Aircraft, a company that employs 365 people in the county's airpark, asked county officials to lengthen the runway so PATS could expand its business to include Boeing 757s. At the meeting, PATS CEO John Martin said the expansion would allow for construction of a new hanger and the addition of 50 to 110 new jobs.

He said a 6,000-foot runway would satisfy requirements of potential customers' insurance carriers. “We value our location here,” Martin said. “Our employees and suppliers are world class and our jobs are highly skilled.”

PATS does interior work and installs auxiliary fuel tanks to jets from companies and individuals around the world at its Georgetown facility.

Baker said the longer runway could also open other economic development opportunities at the county's air/industrial park. The county plans to hire a consultant to market the airport.