OWENSBORO, Ky. – Governor Steve Beshear, community and airport leaders have announced a plan to expand the Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport (OWB) terminal.
The expansion will create additional flights while significantly increasing the size of the waiting area, baggage handling and pick-up areas. The project will add three full-time and several part-time positions.
Since the time of the airport’s 1993 Master Plan Update, more than $26 million in federal, state and local funds have been invested in improving OWB’s airfield infrastructure. Several runways have been extended, and the airport now boasts the third longest runway in Kentucky.
The improved airfield was critical to the airport’s attraction of Allegiant Airlines in February 2009, which offers flights to and from Orlando, Fla. Allegiant recently announced a new passenger service from OWB to Las Vegas beginning in October.
“The Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport is becoming the new front door for our region,” said Ray Asmar, chairman of the Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport Board of Directors. “This terminal expansion will be noticed by visitors arriving and departing Owensboro/Daviess Co. and as such, will be a direct reflection on the immediate region. A mile of highway will take you a mile, but, a mile of runway will take you anywhere!”
The Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority approved the airport for a no-interest loan to help facilitate the improvements, which will have a positive impact on economic development. The loan will be repaid through entitlement proceeds received from the Federal Aviation Administration.
In addition, the Department for Local Government awarded $500,000 in multi-county coal severance funds to Daviess and Ohio counties in effort to help complete the terminal expansion and improvement project at OWB. Multi-County Local Government Economic Development Funds (LGEDF)/Coal Severance Funds are a portion of coal severance taxes set aside to fund projects benefiting two or more coal-producing counties.
For more information on the Owensboro-Daviess County Regional Airport, visit http://www.owb.net/.
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