Red Cloud, NEB. — Nebraska’s Rural airports keep our communities and businesses connected and one airport in South Central Nebraska is speaking out as they will soon be getting some much needed renovations.
“There are only so many things you can do before panels start to displace and you have other issues that are beyond repair,” said Dayre Williams
Red Cloud Municipal Airport will soon be getting the runway improvements it needs.
“You know this airport is 42 years old and it has reached the end of it’s useful life,” Williams said.
Recently, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced this Webster County airport would be one of three rural airports in the state to receive over $9 million in federal grants through the Federal Aviation’s Airport improvement program.
“Fortunately Red Cloud was one of those airports and again it was a combination of the age of our runway, the condition of our runway, where the airport is located in proximity to other airports. This particular airport we have pilots from seven different communities that have airplanes on our field, so this serves a pretty wide area,” Williams said.
Williams saying the improvements for this airport will help better facilitate the flow of commerce and the safety of those traveling.
“We have a spray ag operator that services Smith, Jewell, Webster, as well as Franklin County. They serve quite an area there for farmers. The hospital will use air ambulance transport from here. General aviation has 11 aircrafts in the field. We get government officials that fly in and out. We get the Governor that often flies in. Doctors fly in and out and we have a big Cattle Feed operation that use the facility a lot,” Williams said.
The other two airports receiving the grants are Gordon Municipal Airport and Thomas County airport in Thedford.