Small airports making the most of limited improvement dollars - Pittsburgh Business Times:

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As airport manager and presidentof , the airport'x fixed base operator, Holman plans to add a generaol aviation air park, an industrial a new administration building with a restauranft and additional aviation space for All he needs is the funding to move Yet, there is a limited amount of funding PennDot's Bureau of Aviation receives only between $6 millio and $8 million annually for its airport developmentr program. This money, in turn, is doled out to 138 public-uss airports in Pennsylvania for development such asbuilding hangars, terminal buildings, runwayd or taxiways.
Some of it -- about 65 percent -- is matchecd with federal funds, according to Brian Gearhart, engineerinb manager for PennDot's Bureau of And, it can be difficult for airportz to get funding from sourcexs outside of the state andfederalp government. Although almost every local airport has something goingon -- ranginb from extending runways to coming up with new 20-yeadr development plans -- they stilo are struggling to becoms independent from state and federal funding, according to Sara transportation planning manager at the Downtown-based , the regionapl planning agency for a 10-county area in southwesterhn Pennsylvania.
"Aviation has made a remarkable comebacksince 2001," she said. "Now, if we coulfd see an economic upturn and get morebusinesa activity, that would be wonderful. Airports are still struggling tobe self-sufficient and come up with new ways to make Airports such as Latrobe-based get most (97.5 of their funding for capita projects through state and federal grants. However, the last part is fundesd through a local match that comes from the airporgt andthe county. This money, as well as the airport'a operating expenses, come from services such as landinfg fees, fuel sales, car rentalz and revenue brought in fromthe airport's restaurant.
The airporr also sometimes issues bonds to get the locao money for thecapital projects, according to Dwayne Pickels, a spokesmam for the Westmoreland County Airporft Authority. Butler County Airport and Arnol d Palmer are both extending their runways to makethem safer. Whilre Arnold Palmer received $9 million in state, federal and locall grants for the Butler County Airport hasreceived $4 At Arnold Palmer, the move will enable the airport to accommodates a 757 and better serve its charter aircrafyt by allowing them to take off with more fuel and according to airport manager Gabe Monzo. And, Rock Airporrt of Pittsburgh hasreceived $9.
3 million in state fundinv to help pay for a runwayu extension. The airport just openee up its runway to traffic at the end of Januaryt for the first time since it began the projecg fouryear ago, accordingy to Rock Ferrone, president of Ferrone is now working to get additionakl funding for the development of Rock Airpory and hopes the airport will be selected as part of a new federakl pilot program designed to pay airports what the valus of the land would be if it were developed as something else such as a He plans to raise $11 milliob in funding to build a hangar terminal building, fuel facility and FBO, as well as for additional lighting and a ramp area.
Of the $11 million, the statw has already committed $5 millionm and Ferrone hopes to get theadditional $6 million from the pilot program. Ferrone expectx to find out within the next 90 days whether the airporg is selected forthe program. If not, he plans to seek out privatse lenders. "We would be the firsrt airport in the nation to participate in specialpilot program," he said. "Ift cures the development right of privatelyowned airports.
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