Conway Regional Airport undergoes upgrades
Two years into a five-year, multimillion-dollar capital improvement plan, upgrades at the Conway Regional Airport are becoming a reality despite a change in administration and the challenges of a global covid-19 pandemic.
“These are the first construction projects since the airport was built,” Conway Airport Director Jack Bell said. “It has really taken off.”
Armed with a $1.4 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration in December 2019 as well as state and existing funds, the Conway Airport Advisory Committee unveiled an aggressive plan to build a new hangar apron and taxi lane and add dozens of airplane hangars to such buildings now on the south end of the airfield.
“These projects take us a step forward in making it one of the nicest municipal airports in the state,” Conway Mayor Bart Castleberry said.
The regional airport — located on Sand Gap Road, after a 20-minute drive from the city through bucolic scenery — has been in a constant state of growth with numerous companies housing their corporate planes there and a steady flow of air traffic.
The airport’s T-hangars — named for the design of the stalls for planes — stay at capacity, with a lengthy waiting list, now at 45.
For the first time in nearly seven years, the airport recently increased its monthly hangar rates by an average of $15 each. Rental rates for an open-shade T-hangar are now $125 a month, while standard T-hangars are $225 a month. Large units are $265 and community hangars, depending on the size of the aircraft, are $300 to $900 per month.
Fuel sales continue to rise with about 25,000 gallons sold each month as about 1,500 aircraft come through the airport. In 2019, the airport sold 202,670 gallons
of fuel. That increased to 255,516 gallons in 2021.
“I think word is getting out about the airport,” Bell said. “We’re centrally located, easy to get in and out of, have good fuel prices and very low fees. You also don’t have to wait.”
A flight simulator, which can simulate 14,000 airports worldwide, got up and running late last year and is generating revenue for the municipal airport.
“The flight instructors seem to be pleased with it,” Bell said.
The airport was also recently approved for “Preferred FBO status” — a fixedbase operator — by the Corporate Aircraft Association. Bell said this new designation will increase transient jet aircraft traffic by those companies which are CAA members.
The status gives aircraft owners guaranteed lower fuel prices and other services to encourage them to use the Conway airport.
“Our base customers have had a busy year,” Bell said. “We’re really optimistic about the CAA program. We had one pilot who came in just because he plans his flights around CAA airports. I think we’ll see an increase from that as the word gets out. CAA does the marketing for us. I think we’ll get a lot of benefit from that.”
The airport was built in 2014 on a 431-acre site 10 miles southwest of Conway’s city center. The original Cantrell Field airport, which was located near downtown and Interstate 40, closed Jan. 31, 2015.
The airport operates a full Phillips 66 fuel service and a 24-hour self-serve option, as well as ground service and a 6,300-square-foot main complex with a flight-training classroom, a conference room and a pilot’s lounge with bathrooms, a shower, sleeping space, vending machines, weather computers and free WiFi.
The airport’s annual operating budget of about $1.6 million is fully self-sustained and doesn’t rely on city funds.
Funding for improvements comes not only from the FAA grant, but from banking the $150,000 annual federal Airport Improvement Program payout each year for four years, as well as seeking other federal grants and state monies.
Bell said the improvements are coming along at a good pace despite weather delays and pandemic challenges.
The frame structure for a new T-hangar is complete and door motors and roof metal have been installed. The first phase of the project to add 12 T-hangar slots should be completed by the end of this month, Bell said.
“We reduced the waiting list from about 60 to about 45 by assigning the 12 new hangars,” Bell said.
A new maintenance hangar is also being added and will likely be completed by the end of February. Though it wasn’t in the original improvement plans, the maintenance operation was something long hoped for by the airport, but funding was an issue.
Conway Aircraft, an aircraft maintenance company, offered to pay $400,000 for the cost of construction left over after state grants were spent on the $920,000 project if the airport allowed them to open up shop there.
The company will provide a full range of aircraft engine maintenance and repair services as well as inspections, avionics installation and repair.
“Walt English will be the lead mechanic. He’s very well known in the industry,” Bell said. “We’ve been needing a maintenance hangar and we didn’t give up.”
The airport is looking to build a new set of T-hangars in 2027 as well as a grass landing strip, agricultural operation area and smaller corporate hangars. When it’s all said and done, the airport will have grown from 46 T-hangars to a total of 96.
The FAA discretionary funds for the runway extension project to expand the runway from 5,500 feet to 6,000 feet will not be available until 2025, so that projected completion date was moved from fiscal 2024 to fiscal 2025.
“Coupled with our longrange plans to expand our runway in the future, the maintenance hangar and the additional T-hangars will go a long way to open Conway to greater opportunities,” Castleberry said.
Bell said he’s also hoping to see more industrial businesses being built on the land surrounding the airport, which is owned by the Conway Development Corp.
“We’ve got lots of room for growth out there,” he said. “It’s wide open.”
Bell said he is proud of the progress and is looking forward to watching the plans come to life over the next few years.
“We’ve got such a great staff out here, some have been here a few months and some for over 20 years,” Bell said. “They make my job a lot easier. The airport is in good hands with them.”
Bell said he’s hoping to cut the ribbon on the new maintenance hangar before he retires at the end of February.
Bell has served the city in one capacity or another for several years, doing stints as chief of staff for the city of Conway as well as filling in a few times as airport director between new hires.
He was named interim director “indefinitely” after the previous director, Michelle Anthony, left in 2020.
“My wife and I have been talking about retirement for a while now. It’s time,” Bell said.
No replacement has been found as of yet, but Bell doesn’t think it will be a hard task.
“It’s an attractive job. The pay’s decent,” he said. “And it’s a good place to be.”