The Owensboro-Daviess County Airport Board on Tuesday approved moving forward with the application process to use $2.5 million in state funding for the construction of 10 new T-hangars at the airport.
The funding was allocated to OWB through Kentucky House Bill 1 in 2024 and must be committed by June 30, 2025.
“These funds are far less restrictive than those we receive from the FAA,” said OWB Director Tristan Durbin. “They do not require a grant match and provide us with more flexibility to address our needs.”
Durbin said the airport has not had new hangar infrastructure built in approximately 40 years, if not longer. While MidAmerica Airpark has 10 T-hangars, OWB does not currently have any. With a waitlist of approximately 20 aircraft owners wanting to utilize a hangar, OWB board members emphasized the importance of using this opportunity to expand capacity.
“We have an opportunity now to build a set of 10 T-hangars,” said Board Chair Doug Hoyt. “Given that we don’t have other funding sources available for hangars, this is a rare chance to meet demand.”
Preliminary cost estimates indicate the project aligns well with the $2.5 million allocation, with an expected annual revenue increase of approximately $30,000 for the airport.
The board must complete an application with the Cabinet for Economic Development before receiving the funds. This approval is not a commitment to a specific contractor but an intent to proceed with the project.
To meet the June 30 deadline, the board needed to formally decide on the use of funds before the Cabinet will issue a grant agreement.
“If we don’t commit the funds, we risk losing them,” Durbin said. “Once we have the grant agreement, we can begin the bidding process for construction.”
The exact location of the hangars has not yet been determined. Regardless, the airport will administer the hangars internally, and they will be strictly for aircraft storage, without additional office or classroom space.
Several board members highlighted the demand for hangar space, noting the diverse range of individuals on the waitlist, including younger pilots entering aviation.
“There’s a wide range of airplane owners, from younger individuals in their 20s to longtime aviation enthusiasts,” Durbin said. “The demand is there, and we expect to fill these hangars quickly.”
Other options, such as a large community hangar or corporate facility, were considered but deemed too speculative.
“With the T-hangars, we know we’ll fill them immediately,” Durbin said. “That’s not necessarily the case with a corporate facility.”
Board members also noted that successful implementation of this project could increase the airport’s chances of receiving additional state funding in the future.
“One of the things the General Assembly told us is to show a positive use of these funds quickly,” Hoyt said. “If we do, we’ll be in a better position to ask for more funding later.”
Beyond direct revenue from rentals, additional benefits include increased fuel sales and more aircraft operations at the airport.
“When you have people interested in the airfield, other things happen,” Durbin said. “It creates educational opportunities and strengthens our aviation community.”
With board approval secured, the airport will now begin the formal application process to secure the funding and move toward construction of the new T-hangars.
