Delaware Coastal Airport secures necessary funding to extend runway

SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. – $1,000,000 in federal funding is heading to the Delaware Coastal Airport to extend its runway from 5,500 feet to 6,000.

Airport manager, Robert Bryant, said this will help one of the airport tenants grow their business, flying towards vaster horizons.

“The economic development potential that’s going to be created with the extension of this runway with, Aloft AeroArchitects, who is our largest tenant on the airport, they are wanting to grow their business beyond just the Boeing fleet of aircrafts,” Bryant said.

With that economic development in mind, Senator Tom Carper has been one of the strongest supporters on the front and said the construction will help create many new jobs for people on Delmarva.

“I love making sure people have a job, and I say it’s one thing to give a person a fish and feed them for a day, if you teach a person to fish, they can feed themselves for a lifetime,” Senator Carper said.

And with safety as a top priority, Bryant said the Federal Aviation Administration will be monitoring the extension closely, ensuring all safety points are hit.

“The runway extension, it’s all going to be designed with FAA design standards,” Bryant said. “It’s going to be built to meet all design standards. For the safety aspect of the project, that’s going to be a key.”