Small airports making the most of limited improvement dollars - Pittsburgh Business Times:

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As airport manager and presidentfof , the airport's fixed base Holman plans to add a general aviation air an industrial park, a new administration buildingh with a restaurant and additional aviation space for corporations. All he needes is the funding tomove forward. Yet, there is a limitedf amount offunding available. PennDot's Bureau of Aviation receives onlybetween $6 millionh and $8 million annually for its airport development This money, in turn, is doled out to 138 public-usde airports in Pennsylvania for development projects, such as building terminal buildings, runways or taxiways.
Some of it -- about 65 percenf -- is matched with federal according toBrian Gearhart, engineering manage r for PennDot's Bureau of Aviation. And, it can be difficulf for airports to get fundinb from sources outside of the state and federal Although almost every local airport has something goingon -- ranging from extending runwaysx to coming up with new 20-yead development plans -- they still are struggling to becomed independent from state and federalo funding, according to Sara transportation planning manager at the Downtown-based , the regional planningt agency for a 10-county area in southwesternm Pennsylvania.
"Aviation has made a remarkable comebacksincew 2001," she said. "Now, if we coulrd see an economic upturn and get more business activity, that would be Airports are still struggling to be self-sufficient and come up with new ways to make Airports such as Latrobe-based get most (97.55 percent) of their fundinfg for capital projects through state and federak grants. However, the last part is fundeds through a local match that comeas from the airport and the This money, as well as the airport'w operating expenses, come from services such as landing fees, fuel car rentals and revenue brought in from the airport'as restaurant.
The airport also sometimes issues bonds to get the local money for thecapital projects, according to Dwaynre Pickels, a spokesman for the Westmorelane County Airport Authority. Butler Countyg Airport and Arnold Palmer are both extendingb their runways to makethem safer. While Arnold Palmere received $9 million in state, federak and local grants for the Butler County Airport hasreceived $4 million. At Arnolr Palmer, the move will enable the airpory to accommodate a 757 and better serve its charter aircraft by allowing them to take off with more fuel and according to airport managerGabe And, Rock Airport of Pittsburgh has receives $9.
3 million in state funding to help pay for a runwagy extension. The airport just opened up its runway to traffic at the end of Januaryh for the first time since it began the project fouryear ago, accordinhg to Rock Ferrone, president of Ferrone is now working to get additional funding for the developmengt of Rock Airport and hopes the airport will be selected as part of a new federa l pilot program designed to pay airports what the valure of the land would be if it were developecd as something else such as a Wal-Mart. He planw to raise $11 million in funding to builfd ahangar facility, terminal fuel facility and FBO, as well as for additionalo lighting and a ramp area.
Of the $11 the state has alreadyu committed $5 million and Ferrone hopes to get theadditionaol $6 million from the pilot program. Ferronre expects to find out within the next 90 days whether the airport is selectee forthe program. If not, he plans to seek out privat lenders. "We would be the first airport in the natio to participatein (this) special pilo t program," he said. "It curesa the development rights of privatelyowned airports.
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