Airport awarded Infrastructure Act funding

The Federal Aviation Administration will disperse $40 million annually for the next five years to 51 Kentucky airports. Senator Mitch McConnell announced the funding Thursday.

Hancock County Airport-Ron Lewis Field will receive $110,000 each year. The funding is available through the Airport Infrastructure Grants program, which was established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was recently signed into law by President Joe Biden.

“With the recent completion of the runway extension and lighting project, along with the commitment of our volunteers, the airport is in fantastic shape,” said Board Chairman Tim Powers.

“Our next milestone is to construct a large hangar with office space to accommodate larger airplanes and attract an aviation type business to the airport. The infrastructure money will move that project forward and help maintain the airport to a high standard as reflected in our last state inspection.”

The airport was activated in December 2007, and features a 5,000-feet-by-75-feet runway capable of handling small jet aircraft. The airport is viewed as a strong economic development tool, and often hosts corporate aircraft from the major employers in Hancock County.

The act allocated $25 billion nationwide for airport facilities, and McConnell said more will be distributed throughout Kentucky in the coming months.

“Kentucky’s airports don’t just connect us to the rest of the country and the world; they also form a critical part of America’s supply chain,” McConnell said. “I supported the bipartisan (Act) earlier this year because of programs like this, which will help overhaul Kentucky’s transportation systems and revive our decaying roads, bridges, tunnels, railways, and river ports.”

The airport is owned by Hancock County and is a managed by a Board appointed by Hancock County Fiscal Court.

By C. Josh Givens