Kalamazoo County receives $2.4 million for airport runway improvements
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Kalamazoo County will soon be making improvements to the runways at Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport, thanks to a $2.4 million federal grant.
U.S. Sens. Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters announced the grant award today. The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration, as a part of a runway incursion mitigation program. After completing a six-year study on runway safety, the FAA created the mitigation program with the goal of improving security features in areas where aircraft, vehicles or people can easily enter pathways for aircraft landings and take-offs.
According to the FAA’s 2015 report on runway incursions, the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek airport saw five such incidents during the study period.
“This investment will make travelling to and from Southwest Michigan safer and more efficient,” Stabenow said in the written announcement on the grant. “Safe and reliable air travel will also help encourage businesses to invest in the region and create jobs.”
