Aviation authority seeks to expand Craig Aiport runway

[thelakelander]

JACKSONVILLE -- The Jacksonville Aviation Authority plans to file an application with the city for a comprehensive plan amendment to extend the main runway at Craig Municipal Airport by 2,000 feet.

Craig has two 4,000-foot runways. The extension would affect the one that runs from the northwest to the southeast, known as runway 32, with the extra length added to the southeast end.

The process involved in getting approval and engineering and building the extension could take five years and cost "well over $10 million," said Michael Stewart, the authority's director of external affairs.

Stewart said the authority intended to file for the amendment no later than Aug. 20 and preferably by Aug. 17.

In an Aug. 9 letter to neighboring residents, the authority's board of directors said concerns regarding safety are driving the decision.

Authority officials have said in recent months that eventually the authority would return to the issue, which has met strong enough opposition to defeat past runway extension efforts.

full article:  http://jacksonville.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2007/08/20/story6.html

[thelakelander]

Jax Biz Journal Editorial: No running away from growth

Though some may not like it, our area will continue to grow, and our infrastructure must evolve accordingly.

Just as we improve our highways and bridges, so, too, must we improve our airports.

The Jacksonville Aviation Authority oversees four flourishing airports, each with its own strengths. But upgrading one will be particularly difficult.

Residents near Craig Municipal Airport will likely object to plans to extend a runway at the general aviation facility. Authority representatives are sure to encounter concerns about increasing noise, using the airport for large commercial jets and compromising safety through increased traffic.

Worries about deteriorating safety concerns in particular would be unfounded because extending the runway should produce the opposite effect by giving planes more space to land and take off. Taking the runway from 4,000 feet to 6,000 feet also could reduce noise by giving pilots more time to descend and ascend so they can be higher in the air as they pass over houses.

Extending the runway also would facilitate the transportation of emergency goods and services in the event of a hurricane or other disaster. Disaster relief supplies could be disseminated more quickly if the C-130J cargo planes that often carry them could land at Craig, which is centrally located.

Lengthening the runway could provide an economic boost as well. Aircraft operators that can use Craig now but choose not to because of the runway's current length may be more apt to use it if it were lengthened.

Operators that use Craig may qualify for lower insurance premiums based on the reduced risk associated with having a longer runway. This could improve profitability for operators and perhaps attract operators who cannot afford the costs of using Craig now.

The number of flights to and from Craig will increase -- perhaps by 26 percent or more by 2015 according to authority estimates -- regardless of whether the runway is extended.

But making it longer will make it safer and more effective. We must expand now if we want to have these important benefits in the future.

http://jacksonville.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/stories/2007/08/20/editorial1.html