Runway rehab tops budget planning for Eastern Iowa Airport

CEDAR RAPIDS -- Reconstruction of the southern half of the secondary runway at The Eastern Iowa Airport tops the $13.5 million list of proposed capital improvement projects in the $33.9 million budget for the next fiscal year that begins July 1.

The budget, approved Monday by the Cedar Rapids Airport Commission, projects gross revenue of $34.8 million from July 1 through June 30, 2013.

The city-owned airport, which does not receive property tax revenue, derives its income from user fees, federal and state grants, state vertical infrastructure grants, concession revenue and farm income.

The $5.4 million project to reconstruct 1,700 feet of the secondary runway will replace the original pavement as well as numerous asphalt overlays. The federal government is expected to cover $5.13 million, and the airport's share will be $270,000, which is eligible for passenger facility charge funding.

The $4.2 million reconstruction of the rest of the runway north of the intersection with primary runway 9/27 is scheduled for FY 2014. It also will be primarily covered by federal funding, with the local share funded by the passenger facility charge paid by each passenger.

The airport also is planning $2 million in parking lot improvements east of the passenger terminal, including:

l Expanding the rental car ready lot

l Realigning shuttle and taxicab parking areas

l Rerouting through traffic roadways

l Construction of a new access road for rental car returns.

Airport Director Tim Bradshaw said construction of additional restrooms in the passenger terminal will begin next summer. The $621,000 project will relieve a situation that has existed since 9/11 when there has only been one set of restrooms in the lobby area, making it inconvenient for the public and janitorial personnel during cleaning operations.

Bradshaw said the budget approved by the commission on Monday makes conservative projections of revenue and expenses, in line with past practices at the airport.

"A conservative approach to the budget makes sense, especially when fuel prices are really the wild card," Bradshaw noted. "The airlines are very optimistic. They've been adding capacity and they feel the worst is behind them.

"We're seeing some signs that the economy is improving and more people are flying, but with what's going on in Iran, we really don't know what's going to happen to fuel prices."

Last week, Southwest Airlines announced it eventually will serve the Des Moines International Airport.

The Dallas-based airline plans to convert existing AirTran Airways service to Southwest, but it did not specify when the changeover will occur or whether the existing routes will be changed or expanded.

"AirTran flies to Milwaukee from Des Moines and Southwest might add flights to Midway Airport in Chicago. Having AirTran already in the market, we just don't know what the impact will be after the conversion to Southwest occurs," Bradshaw said.

Comments: (319) 398-8366; [email protected]