This project will help make our whole region more marketable from a transportation standpoint. A statement from DeWine emphasized the project's employment potential. With increased accessibility into the region, more companies will hopefully locate their business operations in this region, while those businesses already located here will be more likely to expand and grow their operations. According to the National Air Transportation Association, aviation is the biggest stimulator of economic development in communities. Several area business leaders wrote letters to the FAA in support of the extension.
Airports are the linchpin for economic development.
A runway extension also will increase educational opportunities for Ohio University undergraduate and graduate students in aviation and avionics, Glidden said. FAA officials recently ruled that the proposed extension is consistent with existing national and environmental policies and objectives Airport officials said Phase 1 of the project will begin this fall.