(Posted Aug. 13, 2015)
By Kristy Zurbrick, Madison Editor
The Madison County Airport is set for take-off on a construction project that will increase its capacity and strengthen its bottom line.
On Aug. 10, the airport authority board awarded a $680,000 contract to Jay-Car Construction of Mount Sterling to build a 10-bay T-hangar. Another $100,000 will go into design and engineering costs.
The airport generates revenues in two ways—fuel sales and hangar rentals. Added hangar space will attract more rental customers who will in turn buy fuel.
“We have six people waiting already” for the new hangar space, said Bill Laney, president of the airport authority board.
The airport charges $85 per month for plane storage spaces in its open hangars and $235 per month for its enclosed hangars. All spaces in the new 10-bay hangar will be enclosed.
Funds for the construction project will come primarily from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which grants the Madison County airport $150,000 per year for improvements. Laney said the airport has built up a reserve of $493,000 in FAA funds.
On Aug. 10, the Madison County commissioners agreed to float the airport the difference in the overall project cost until further FAA reimbursements come through over the next couple of years.
Laney said preliminary earth-moving work could begin yet this year, but that construction likely will start in earnest in the spring.
The Madison County Airport is located at 1281 U.S. Route 40 SW, London. Hours of operation are 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. For more information, call John Duhl, airport manager, at (740) 852-5040.
