Greenwood-Leflore Airport has been awarded a $1.2 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration as part of its Airport Improvement Program.
The money will be used for reconstructing lighting on the primary runway of the airport.
Grady Perkins, airport manager, said the grant will fund a complete replacement of the lighting system that includes shifting from incandescent to LED bulbs.
“The lighting on the primary runway is at least 25 and pushing 30 years old, and the typical lifespan of those lights is 10 years old, according to the FAA,” Perkins said. “So, it’s well overdue for replacement.”
Perkins said he isn’t sure when the funds will be available for use, but when they are, the airport will need to hire a contractor who will be in charge of installing the new lighting system.
Perkins said the grant does not require local matching funds.
“We’re certainly grateful to receive this amount of grant money,” he said. “We couldn’t do all of this if it required local money.”
The start date for the project is still unclear, according to Perkins, but he said he hopes the project can be completed around the middle of next year.
Grant money also was issued to eight other airfields in the state, with a total of $6.6 million awarded.
The U.S. Department of Transportation will award the AIP grants on behalf of the FAA.
Angela Curry, the executive director of the Greenwood-Leflore-Carroll Economic Development Foundation, said the upgrades will only make the city of Greenwood more enticing to prospective business.
“The upgrades to that runway only make it a more marketable airport and site for future development,” she said.
“Improving airport infrastructure makes air travel safer, more efficient, and more accessible to the public,” said U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss, in a statement Tuesday.
“I am pleased the FAA is providing Mississippi airports with the resources needed to complete these projects, which will make airports better equipped to serve their communities,” he said.
- Contact Drew Richardson at 581-7233 or drichardson@gwcommonwealth.com.
