During its meeting Tuesday, the Owensboro-Daviess County Airport Board approved moving forward with the application process to use $2.5 million in state funding to build 10 T-hangars at the airport.
The money was funded through Kentucky House Bill 1 during the 2024 legislative session, but requires the Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development to approve the application.
Tristan Durbin, airport director, said there is great interest in the hangars among the local private aviation community.
“We currently have about 20 individuals on a waiting list right now that are needing hangar space,” he said. “Some of it is local, but there is also a contingency of individuals that are outside the local community that are also interested in putting their aircraft here in Owensboro.”
The hangars are designed to house single-engine or some smaller multi-engine aircraft. The hangars will be leased to individuals.
“There are a few different locations we can put them,” said Durbin of the airport having available space. “We’re currently evaluating what the best location would be.”
With the board’s approval to move forward with the application process, airport officials can start developing plans for the construction of the facilities.
“It allows us to determine the best location,” Durbin said, “and it allows us to start putting together (request for proposals) for the engineering and construction services for the construction of the facilities.”
Durbin said it would be the first construction of new hangars at the airport in decades.
“This will be the first hanger infrastructure project at the airport in likely over 40 years, so that’s exciting,” he said. “We’re extremely grateful and thankful for our legislators in Frankfort for realizing the need for us and supporting us in the House Bill 1 appropriation process.
“It wouldn’t have been possible without their support.”
Durbin said the airport is restricted from using federal funds to build hangars because it is a commercial airport, and that has resulted in some private aircraft owners locating elsewhere.
“General aviation airports are allowed to use federal money to construct hangers,” he said. “There are airports in the surrounding area that have been able to build hangers, and because of that, we’ve had some aircraft owners who moved their aircraft out of Owensboro.
“So what this will also do is it will start bringing some of those individuals back, as well as attracting new tenants.”
Durbin said he also anticipates the hangars being economic drivers.
“Whenever we get these hangers built and all leased out, that will contribute to other factors,” he said. “Not only will we make some revenue off of those hangers, but additionally, (those pilots) will be purchasing fuel from the airport and Mid-America, because we both sell fuel, and they’re going to be flying in and out of the airport, so it increases our operations with the control tower.
“There are a lot of positive ancillary impacts that this really creates for the airport.”
Durbin doesn’t anticipate the application process being lengthy, as funds from House Bill 1 must be committed to a project by June 30.
“We would need to have those funds awarded to us by then,” he said.
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