“There’s still a huge economic impact to the city of Klamath Falls from the airport,” said Joe Goetz, operations manager at the airport, as he drove around the taxiway construction area.

“When we’re doing projects like this, we’re drawing in about 100 jobs during the project. In the next couple weeks, we’ll start paving,” Goetz added.

The project was bid out to Rocky Mountain Construction at $7.7 million, the price of which will likely be adjusted due to changes in the project, Goetz said.

“The two main parts of this project are to increase runway safety and that allows our general aviation traffic that’s on the east side of the airport here a quicker exit off the runway,” Goetz said. “The second part of the project is economic development. We have a large ramp on this side of the airport that we historically have not been able to use because we have not been able to get access to it. Part of this project is building an access to that ramp. That ramp … it’s designed to handle the largest aircraft the airport can handle, so it’ll spur some economic development activity in that regard.”

The project improves runway safety, and provides additional aircraft parking space for Kingsley Field, including large transport aircraft used by the Guard.

“It allows them extra parking opportunities when they bring in jets for deployments and special events, Sentry Eagle-type stuff,” Goetz said. “It just helps us support their mission even further.”

The airport is also working with Klamath County Economic Development Association (KCEDA) to attract more industrial businesses to the airport’s business park, Goetz said.

“It’s one of the city’s goals this year to start pushing that, and get that program off the ground, and really market it that we have the airport business park,” Goetz said.

Goetz noted some of the perks of the business park, including less expensive rent and lease rates, and is especially attractive to out-of-state businesses looking for space, no sales tax.

“It kind of diversifies the revenue stream at the airport,” Goetz said. “Just like in business, we don’t want all of our revenue in one thing.”

The airport is also continuing to promote its community presence amid the air service loss.

As a sponsor of Klamath Falls Downtown Association’s Third Thursday, airport personnel hosted a booth at the event.

“We still want to get the word out that the airport’s open, and the airport’s here for the community,” Goetz said.

Airport staff members also continue to meet and communicate with personnel at Kingsley Field.

“We discuss common issues, common topics, common construction projects,” Goetz said.

With the help of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the airport also recently completed a navigational system called Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI) that aides pilots in aligning their aircraft during landing at the airport.

The airport will also have all taxiway markings painted this summer, along with a large crack seal project.

Light maintenance on the roof of the terminal and “normal building upkeep” will continue at the airport, Goetz said.

Aircraft fly in and out of Crater Lake-Klamath Regional Airport multiple times each day to refill retardant used to extinguish fires, according to Goetz.

“We’re still very busy,” Goetz said.

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Paving the Way Forward (H&N)