Behind the scenes: At the Kirksville Regional Airport (KIRK), Missouri

 

KIRKSVILLE, MO. -- Have you ever wondered what the day to day operations are like at the Kirksville Regional Airport? KTVO has those details. 

It might be a small airport with only 24 employees, but it is a mighty airport, servicing over 10,000 passengers per year.

To be employed at the Kirksville Regional Airport, you must be flexible, because no day is ever quite the same.

"As a department head with the city, you have to be flexible and adaptive at all times, you think you have your day planned and something always changes," said Glenn Balliew, Kirksville Regional Airport Director.

The Kirksville Regional Airport is a Part 139 Airport, one of seven in the state. That means that the airport is held to the same federal standards as larger airports such as Kansas City and St. Louis.

"The City of Kirksville supplies law enforcement support for the airport, if we fail to provide that, a lot of people don't realize that we can be held with civil penalties of up to $11,000 per incident for not covering those flights," added Balliew.

Kirksville Regional Airport Director, Glenn Balliew says the airport runs more like that of a small business.

"We are more like a small business here, we have 24 jobs and only 4 city employees," said Balliew.

Daily tasks for those employees include re-fueling jets, servicing the runways and aprons, removing snow in the wintertime and even mowing the grass surrounding the runways.

"A lot of people just can't comprehend that we actually mow like you mow your yard, over 300 acres," added Balliew.

The airport has also recently entered into a five-year contract with a new fuel provider. The new contract with AvFuel Corporation has brought more jets to the airport to re-fuel, therefore giving the airport an economic boost.

The airport could also be seeing a new sign at the entrance in the near future. The current sign was damaged when severe storms and heavy wind passed through the area in June. The airport director is currently receiving bids for those interested in constructing the sign.

Source:  http://www.heartlandconnection.com