According to a draft plan released for public comment by the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics, Watonga Municipal Airport is again in line for substantial grant money for projects to grow the airport while maintaining public safety. The draft plan is for the next five years and will become final after the comment period closes and adjustments are made.
The first phase of the projects would be to prepare the land for development on the west side of the airport. This would allow for the addition of more hangars and other facilities, including a taxi lane. Design and construction are expected to begin this year. The entire cost of the project is estimated at $1.7 million, spread out over several years.
A second project is included in the FAA fiveyear-plan. It would construct a new airport terminal. The report shows the existing terminal is outdated and in need of repair, maintenance and/or updating. The existing building can’t accommodate the number of waiting passengers, pilots and visitors and the improvements should provide appropriate room and amenities.
That project isn’t slated to begin until fiscal year 2029 and will cost some $2 million. But don’t pack your bags just yet.
According to City Manager Karrie Beth Little, the second project is so far out from the build stage at this point, it simply asks identified airports if there is an interest in having the work done. However, there is a significant match for the project, perhaps up to 50%, or a million dollars.
What the Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics will get in return is a letter of interest saying that the town is interested, if it can raise the match money.
Little said the match would have to come from grants and other funding means, rather than the city budget.