Henderson Field Airport is on a flight path toward expansion, officials said Wednesday.
An upcoming expansion project at the airport, located in uincorporated Pender County near the Duplin County town of Wallace, includes an extension of the airport's runway to 5,500 feet and relocating Wallace Airport Road and Old Mill Road, according to a news release from Pender County.
The expansion has been awarded a $6.9 million state transportation improvement grant, which is anticipated to cover the total cost of the project with no local match, said Gage King, the airport's director.
He said that the current layout of the airport prevents a runway expansion. The project requires relocating roadways to add the additional space for the runway to be extended.
The airport expansion is about a three-year project, King said, adding, "you won’t see dirt being moved until about a year or so."
The goal of the project is to allow for more corporate traffic and allow larger aircraft to use the runway, he said.
"In theory, this would allow more jobs and more use of the airport and create more positive economic activity in the county and that could reach more northern New Hanover County and Duplin County. It has a huge advantage for surrounding counties," he said.
The airport sits on about 225 acres of land, and an additional 225 to 250 acres are being eyed for purchase to make the changes needed for the runway expansion, he said.
“We should see land purchases begin in the last quarter of 2018 or the first quarter of 2019,” Fred McCoy, Pender County commissioner who serves on the airport commission, said in the release.
“North Carolina has a strong presence in the field of aviation," McCoy added. "We look forward to future growth at Henderson Field Airport and the economic impact the airport has on the region.”
Henderson Field Airport serves mostly corporate and tourism clients but is also used by emergency services, King said in the release.
The airport served customers for the Wells Fargo Championship golf tournament in May 2017 at Eagle Point Golf Club, said Tammy Proctor, spokeswoman for Pender County Tourism.
"People do fly in and leave their planes [at Henderson Field Airport] and drive in at Topsail. The airport was heavily used for folks that flew in for Wells Fargo," Proctor said. "It’s just a great resource for us for economic development. And we believe tourism is a part of economic development because everybody starts as a visitor.”
The terminal building is about 1,200 square feet, and the apron will hold about 20 airplanes, depending on the size of the airplane, King said.
“The major purpose for the airport is for economic development,” King said in the release. “Henderson Field made an economic impact of $2.74 million to $6.43 million over the last six years. The airport has 20 employees and a payroll of $380,000, according to the last study.”
N.C. Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation said in the recently released 2018 State of Aviation report that the state’s 72 airports, including Wilmington International Airport, generate $31 billion in annual economic impact, create 123,400 jobs and contribute $913 million in tax revenue to state and local governments.
The State of Aviation Report is generated by the Institute for Transportation Research at N.C. State University and commissioned by N.C. DOT’s Division of Aviation.
Correction: This article has been updated to reflect that the airport terminal is 1,200 square feet.
