Will Replace 22-Year-Old System Over Two Years

Daytona Beach International Airport officials have accepted a $2.37 million federal grant, which will be used to cover almost all the costs of upgrading the airport's antiquated ILS.

Deputy US Transportation Secretary Maria Cino presented the grant Friday, saying it would cover 95 percent of the cost of an upgraded ILS. The airport and state will split the remaining 5 percent.

"It really comes down to being able to land an airplane in any kind of weather or darkness," Cino told a gathering of airport officials and County Council members.

Those are duties the current 22-year-old system, which is losing signal strength. The FAA downgraded its reliability from 25 miles down to 10, based on the results of a 2003 safety check -- and while emergency repairs later restored the full 25-mile service radius, it was clear the solution was only a stopgap measure.

The current ILS serves the 10,500-ft Runway 7-Left. The new system will be installed at the opposite end of the runway, airport marketing director Steve Cooke told the Daytona Beach News-Journal.

Officials expect the installation of a new ILS will take about two years.

FMI: http://volusia.org/airport/default.htm