What a Life for June 27, 2007
June 26, 2007Ellis Lottinger, Jr.
June 28, 2007
As the economy surrounding Port Fourchon continues to hum along, efforts are being made to see to it that the South Lafourche Leonard Miller Jr. Airport in Galliano keeps pace with its maritime counterpart.
Transferred to the control of the Greater Lafourche Port Commission from the Lafourche Parish Council in 2001, the airport is in the process of completing a multi-million dollar facelift that will allow the facility to grow substantially in the future.
The runway, once a short (by aviation standards) 3,800-foot strip of asphalt was recently extended in two phases.
The first extension was to 5,000 feet in length with a widening to 100 feet also included. This phase was completed in April 2006 at a cost of $3.5 million, funded in combination by the port commission, the state Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Phase two of the improvement plan called for the further extension of the runway to a length of 6,500 feet, which was completed in September 2006 and primarily funded by the Greater Lafourche Port Commission at a cost of nearly $2 million.
According to new airport manager Jason Duet, the longer runway will now allow the airport to be more competitive. “The longer runway gives owners and pilots of bigger airplanes such as mid size jets and Lear jets to now land in Galliano,” he said. “It’s an option that I believe many in the industry will take advantage of.”
In order to extend the runway to the current length, it had to be closed for approximately two months, and Duet noted that word is still getting out to the aviation community that the airport has reopened the longer runway.
“Once everyone in the aviation community is aware of the longer landing and takeoff space, traffic will pick up even more,” he said.
Also included in the improvements was strengthening of the runway to accommodate larger aircraft.
With the strengthening work on the runway completed last month at a cost of $3 million, it now carries a weight capacity of some 75,000 pounds, which Duet noted as being critical to accepting the business of larger aircraft.
The airport has also recently installed new and updated runway lighting and approach lighting for the runway is expected to be in place in the near future on the south end of the airfield.
According to Duet, a parallel taxiway alongside the runway is planned for construction in 2008. While the project is expected to take several months to complete, Duet noted that it is vital in order for the airport to increase its traffic load as well as be federally approved for an instrument landing system in the future.
The airport is also the home to three new aviation (helicopter) tenants who lease land in the surrounding area. Duet said that plans call for additional tenants to come in alongside the three helicopter companies who have now based a portion of their operations at the airport.
New hangar construction for two companies is expected to begin soon. “We’re trying to get the improvements here at the airport to act as a catalyst for economic development in the south Lafourche area as well as at Port Fourchon,” he said.
