Santa Maria Public Airport officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for an extended runway on April 25. Pictured from left to right are Brett Dolan; Don Lahr; Chuck Damiano; Carl Engel, Jr.; Hugh Rafferty; Chuck Adams; and Chris Hastert.
PHOTO BY CHRIS HASTERT
BY JASON BANANIA
However, the new feature won’t be fully usable until later this month, after an instrument landing system is installed on the runway, which will help guide pilots landing in stormy weather. The Federal Aviation Administration projects the installation will be completed by May 31.
The extended runway is the longest landing strip between Los Angeles and San Francisco, and can be used as a selling point by the airport’s board of directors to attract more business, Hastert said. Airport leaders are trying to lure other airlines to SMX to increase the range of destinations for passengers who fly from it.
“The next big push is to get airlines. They’re trying to convince Allegiant to make Santa Maria their next selection for airport fly out, and then working on United to get flights to Denver and possibly working with other carriers,” Hastert explained. “Airlines like Allegiant have been looking to fly to Hawaii.”
SMX will also have full tanker service with the United States Forest Service, which will be in full operation during the fire season starting around the end of May.
“With the full tanker service in operation, we will be able to bring in the larger aircraft where we can drop in more retardant and keep the fire from spreading as quickly,” Hastert said. “It definitely benefits the communities.”
During the board of directors meeting on April 26, there was also a talk of a proposal by a local business owner, David Baskett, to purchase 10 BE-200 Russian Air Tankers and lease them to the Forest Service. The Russian airplanes can carry approximately 3,000 gallons and are capable of landing on water.
The 2,590-acre airport has a lot of untapped land, and plans for a business park are the next big project the board will tackle.
“We’re trying to have the airport meet its full potential. We have a lot of land available for development,” Hastert said.
Source: http://www.santamariasun.com
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