The
Aviation Committee and Planners discussed the master plan for Bruce Brothers
Huntsville Regional Airport last Tuesday— also known as the Huntsville
Municipal Airport.
“In
March 2018, [Huntsville] and H.W. Lochner entered into an agreement, with TxDOT
acting as agent, for the preparation of the Huntsville Municipal Airport,” according to the Master Plan.
“Airport
master plans are designed to evaluate existing airport conditions, identify and
assess the impacts of future aviation demand and provide the city with
information and direction in the continued short and long term operation,
development and planning of the airport,” Lochner project manager Sadie Robb
said.
Airport plans should be updated every seven to ten years.
The last master plan update for Huntsville Municipal Airport was completed in
2003.
The master
plan update will be funded by the City of Huntsville, which will receive a
grant from the Texas Department of Transportation Aviation Division. The plan
aims to further develop the terminals, create more hangars to store aircrafts
and acquire land to increase the runway, according to the master plan.
Improvements
to the airport are required to match peak operations because the City of
Huntsville predicts an increase in the demand of aviation services. Peak hourly
passenger activity is expected to increase from 24 to 44 passengers within the
next 20 years, according to the plan.
In order
to adjust to the evolving technology and requirements of safety features for
airports, it is vital to periodically check the current conditions of an
airport to ensure that they follow FAA and TxDOT standards, according to Robb.
There are
also environmental benefits to updating the plan.
“Updating
the master plan helps the city identify infrastructure, such as fuel storage
tanks, mobile refueling trucks, maintenance practices, etc., that needs to be
updated in order to minimize the likelihood of an impact on the soils or
groundwater,” Robb said.
Huntsville
can look forward to several great benefits such as increased income, education
and new businesses, according to Robb.
A higher
volume of aircrafts could result in pilots enjoying the many amenities
Huntsville has to offer while they are visiting, according to Robb. Robb also states
that certain companies are more reluctant to start business in locations that
will not allow their company jets.
The master
plan could also provide educational opportunities to those interested in
becoming a pilot.
The master
plan update can provide a safe facility for flight instructors, given the
facility’s design updates meets the Federal Aviation Association’s and Texas
Department of Transportation’s design standards, according to Robb.
This is
only one step to a multi-step process in the Huntsville Municipal Airport
Master Plan.