A New Terminal Could Be Coming Soon

More federal stimulus money is being spent on aviation's "shovel ready" projects. Tunica Municipal Airport hopes to begin long-planned improvements with the help of money from the FAA, the Mississippi DOT, and The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. As much as $10 million in improvements are on airport officials' wish list.

Among the projects Executive Director Cliff Nash hopes to begin this year are a long-discussed new terminal, a transportation courtyard, and a new fire station. That last project alone could get up to $1.25 million in stimulus money, according to the Memphis Business Journal. A $1.5 million expansion of the airport apron is planned using money from the FAA.

Nash told The Nashville Business Journal the terminal could be built without federal stimulus money because of a $10 millon bond from Tunica County. He said the airport has nearly a million dollars from the Mississippi DOT that it has to spend before June 5th in order to qualify for stimulus dollars, and that money can't be held over for the terminal project.

The airport has seen a 30 percent increase in passenger traffic already this year.

If the county bonds are released this summer, Nash said work on the terminal could begin as early as August. Down the road, he hopes to be able to build a control tower at the airport, which would allow military traffic and accommodate larger corporate jets. He said the airport already has reauthorization to hire a tower staff ...but that they need to build it before they can come.

FMI: www.tunicaairport.com