McKinney April 2022

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TRAFFIC UPTICK In the last ve years the number of ights per day has increased at the airport.

Apathformorepassengers One of the biggest upcoming projects for the airport has been on its radar for a number of years and will get underway later this year, Carley said. Design work began last year to extend the airport’s southern runway by 500 feet, and con- struction on that project is expected to begin in November or December. The runway will ultimately be extendedby1,500feet, going from7,002 feet to 8,502 feet. Work will be in two phases, with the rst consisting mainly of inll and drainage to get the land lev- eled, Carley said. The second phase will involve pavement and connecting the runway. If the project remains on sched- ule, it should be completed by the end of 2024, Carley said. Having a longer runway opens up more possibilities for airport travelers, Carley said. The more fuel airplanes leave with, the more runway space is needed to get them airborne. With the extension, planes leaving from McKin- ney National Airport can carry enough fuel for longer ights. “Some of our operators that use the airport today are limited in the sense that if they’re ying really long trip legs overseas… they can’tmake it in one trip because they can’t take enough fuel out of here,” Carley said. In addition, an extended runway will attract more operators who are cur- rently in the area, Carley said. “It’ll allow the airport to grow unen- cumbered for decades to come, which is really the goal of it,” Carley said. Looking ahead, airport ocials are weighing the possibility of adding com- mercial passenger ights in the future. “It’s an expensive undertaking, not only for us, but for any airline that would look to come in here and serve too,” Carley said. To be certied by the Federal Avia- tion Administration to provide com- mercial ight services, McKinney National Airport would have to add even more sta and facilities, Carley said. The airport can apply for federal government grants to cover some of the costs for these services. “The goal is, if we grow in that direc- tion, we can still be self-supporting and at an operating cost for the air- lines so that it makes sense for them to be there,” Carley said. “We’re going through this whole due diligence to make sure it makes sense. I feel like in the end, it probably will.”

Key

Takeos and landings

2016: 119,000

2021: 135,000

+13.45%

FUEL SALES

Barring some dips from COVID-19, the airport continues to make money from fuel sales.

$10M $15M $20M

0 $5M

Fiscal year

$7M

$6M

$5M

$4M 0

Fiscal year

SOURCE: MCKINNEY NATIONAL AIRPORT COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

April 2019was 100% full in 45 days, Car- ley said. “We’ve turned away more than enough business to ll another one since then,” he said. Hangars generate revenue through rent and aircraft fuel sales, as well as the sale of other services to the aircraft, Car- ley said. That revenue from the new hangar is expected to support the debt on build- ing not only the hangar, but also a new customs building, he said. “Customs isn’t really going to gen- erate revenue, but it’s needed,” Carley said. “We’re serving those customers today, and that’s to process interna- tional arrivals.” Engineering and design on those two projects will take place this year, with construction potentially starting in late 2022, Carley said. Additional projects the airport is tack- ling include erosion repair and the reha- bilitation and relocation of taxiways, Carley said.

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MCKINNEY EDITION • APRIL 2022