New FAA grant announced for Tyler Pounds Regional Airport | Business

From the City of Tyler:

With an initiative to enhance safe aircraft taxi operations from the airport commercial terminal and provide needed space for corporate development on the airport, Tyler Pounds Regional Airport has been awarded a new FAA grant totaling $7,033,313.  Pending approval from the City for the required 10 percent matching funds, the grant from the Federal Aviation Administration will provide funding to construct a new taxiway near the commercial airport terminal and also to initiate required environmental assessments to reconstruct Tyler runway 04/22.

“The airport’s hangar space and land available for future airside development is fully occupied, so all future growth for general aviation and aviation industrial facilities will rely on this project moving forward,” said Airport Manager Davis Dickson. “In addition to the improvements to the airfield, this work will help create jobs and bolster the airport’s role as a key economic engine for the East Texas Region.”

The new taxiway was a project recommended in the airport’s twenty year development master plan.  Having the taxiway will reduce taxiing distances for the commercial carriers and improve safety standards on the airfield.  The project is also the second step toward opening land on the airport for future corporate and industrial development opportunities.

“These funds will be used to address needed maintenance and safety improvements at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport,” said Senator John Cornyn. “In addition, quality transportation services are important for boosting local economic growth. I commend the area leaders who worked to secure this funding.”

With the inclusion of the environmental assessments in this grant, Tyler will be taking the first steps to rehabilitate runway 04/22.  This is the longest runway at Tyler and plans are to strengthen the runway to accommodate larger aircraft and improve the precision navigational aids to allow it to be more effective through inclement weather conditions.

“This new taxiway project will address the future needs of the airport, and is very important to the growth of Tyler,” Said Mayor Barbara Bass.  “Improving our main runway while making more land available for airside access can only add to the economic development potentials for the airport.”

The Texas Department of Transportation reports that capital expenditures just for infrastructure and airport improvements from 2006 – 2010 generated $22.5 million in economic activity.  In 2010 the overall economic impact of the airport on East Texas was approximately $66,139,902.

Tyler Pounds Regional Airport is served by American Airlines to DFW Airport and United Airlines to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport.  There are over 150 based aircraft at Tyler and Tyler Pounds Regional Airport was awarded FAA’s Airport of the Year in 2007.