It has been more than 17 years since the Delaware Coastal Airport in Sussex County had its last airport master plan update.
Over that time period, both the county and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) have provided millions of dollars for expansion and rehabilitation as the complex has grown into a major economic force in the area, the Cape Gazette in Lewes, Del., reported June 18.
During the Sussex County Council's June 4 meeting in Georgetown, Bob Bryant, the airport and business park operations manager, presented the council with a new FAA-approved, 418-page plan for the Delaware Coastal Airport. The blueprint was completed at a cost of more than $571,000 by McFarland Johnson, an engineering firm based in Binghamton, N.Y.
The plan includes factors influencing the facility's future development and needs, along with improvements to existing infrastructure, safety, and security, and how all FAA standards and environmental regulations will be met. It also has both a financial plan and a project schedule, the Cape Gazette noted.
Additionally, the FAA requires a terminal-area forecast. In 2018, the airport had 61 airplanes housed in hangars with a total of 34,401 airport operations. Those numbers are predicted to increase to 85 aircraft and nearly 48,000 operations in the coming years.
Bryant said the FAA reviews all elements of the master plan but only approves forecasts of demand and an airport layout plan.
Runway Extension Heads the Plan
The 20-year proposal provides details on the airport's operation, infrastructure and future projects, including those needed in the short, mid and long term.
At the top of the list is an extension of the Delaware Coastal Airport's main runway from its current 5,500 ft. to 6,123 ft. Bryant said the current runway can accommodate 75 percent of all airplanes, but the extension will allow larger jets to access the airport.
The runway extension effort can proceed as the work to relocate Park Avenue around the airport is completed by the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT). Removing a section of the roadway will allow for more expansion space, according to the engineering consultants.
Other projects included in the report are hangar development, rehabilitation of existing paved services and terminal facility expansion.
Bryant told the Sussex County Council that short-term projects are considered critical and immediate needs, which include updates to FAA standards and construction of a parallel taxiway at the airport. He added that the project is multi-phase and multi-grant, with construction ready to begin.
The Cape Gazette said that a public hearing will soon be scheduled on the report.
Airport Has Significantly Impacted State's Economy
Bryant said a DelDOT Office of Aeronautics report calculated the economic impact of all airports in Delaware, which includes income, employment and taxes.
By that measure, Delaware Coastal's numbers are impressive, with a total impact of nearly $167 million annually to the state and region, including $5 million in taxes, $52 million in income impacts, and 617 jobs. The report includes the business/industrial park next to the airport.
The DelDOT findings noted that the Sussex County facility has the highest return on its assets of any airport in the state at 109 percent, Bryant noted.
In recent years, Delaware Coastal Airport has seen $40 million in upgrades. As a result, it provides fuel and service, rail access, hangar space, short- and long-term parking, and rental cars, along with large corporate jet capabilities.
Among the businesses operating at the airport are Skyline Aviation for fuel and servicing; Sussex Aeronautic Maintenance for maintenance, inspections, and other related services; and Ocean Aviation Flight Academy for flight lessons. Arena's also operates one of its restaurants at the airport.
Additionally, a Delaware State Police Aviation Unit helicopter is based at the site, and Delaware Technical Community College's aviation maintenance technology program is housed at the airport.
Its major tenant is ALOFT AeroArchitects, a company that provides services to private and corporate jets, including auxiliary fuel systems and full VIP interior designs on jets from all over the world. The firm also operates an authorized Boeing Service Center.
Delaware Coastal Airport's history dates back to 1943, when it had three 5,000-ft. runways and served as a U.S. Navy testing facility until 1966. Among the many military projects tested there were a catapult launching system and a rocket car, according to the Cape Gazette.
Sussex County got more involved in the airport in the 1970s and reconfigured the facility's runways. Extensive rehabilitation has taken place since the early 2000s.
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