By Peter Biello
Wilmington, NC – Brunswick County Airport is making plans to extend its runway.
The runway is currently 4,300 feet long, but Airport Director Howie Franklin wants to extend it to 5,505. Some big jets can't be cleared for landing on runways shorter than 5,000.
Franklin says increasing the strength of the runway from 30,000 to 80,000 pounds per tire will allow heavier planes to land.
We can not only bring in the executive jets that need to come in and don't have to worry about weight, but we can also bring in emergency aircrafts in the event of an emergency.
Franklin says the money for improvements to the Brunswick Airport runway comes from the Aviation Trust Fund, which is funded by national aviation fuel sales. Work should begin within three months.