Morgantown Municipal Airport’s runway extension finally got cleared for takeoff last week.
The $50 million project to add another 1,001 feet to the airport’s existing 5,199-feet runway is expected to begin in fall 2020.
This is unquestionably not only some of the biggest infrastructure news in our region in a while, but it will also improve airport safety and is a magnet for new businesses.
In short, the Federal Aviation Authority’s approval of this project will help modernize the state’s busiest airport — based on the number of flights.
Contrary to any common-sense expectation in light of those flight numbers our airport has the shortest runway of all the state’s commercial carrier airports.
We don’t question that this airport’s success story is testament to dogged determination and the city’s resilience.
But a look at the issues with the commercial carriers once operating out of the airport alone, until recently, makes one wonder how the airport has continued to land on its feet.
That’s in addition to struggles with enplanement numbers to qualify for federal funding; the revolving door of airport directors in recent years; righting the initially errant construction of new T-hangars; and the five-year back-and forth to get this runway extension approved.
There’s blame enough to go around on past setbacks, but looking ahead it’s imperative our city get this runway project right from start to finish.
Another unique aspect of our airport is that it’s the state’s only municipally-owned airport. That is, our city manager, and in the case of contracts City Council, alongside the airport director controls what flies at the airport.
Some suggest Morgantown should look at transitioning to an airport authority. An airport authority is a decision-making body made up of members typically appointed by officials — in this case City Council — to operate an airport.
Airport authorities are common where airports typically serve broad areas, possibly spanning several counties, or between cities, etc.
One of the primary benefits of such an authority is you get a wide range of expertise that no city manager embodies alone and perhaps investment by other entities.
Some will also point out you get another layer of bureaucracy to make decisions with an authority.
While others will note that when the city signs off on federal funding that’s its name on the documents, not the authority’s.
We’re not endorsing one form of control over another, for now, but in the past our airport has floundered, at times.
Whether that’s a result of entrusting the airport’s decisions into the hands of a few, we’re unsure.
But this runway project should give us a clearer picture of where to land with such a choice.
