Trustees Approve Property Purchases For 'Protection Zones' At University Park Airport

5-16-97
University Park, Pa. -- Penn State's Board of Trustees today (May 16) approved the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) plan to purchase five properties near the University Park Airport. The purchases are funded principally by the FAA.

The plan creates the necessary "runway protection zones" around the airport and also help protect its close neighbors in line with the runway from excessive noise and other annoyances associated with arriving and departing planes.

The board also approved a lease that will allow the construction of a large aircraft hangar and office space for an aviation business relocating to the airport. It will include an aircraft charter service, a corporate jet aircraft refurbishing service, a jet aircraft maintenance service and a flight school.

Robert C. Finley, assistant to the associate senior vice president for business and finance, told the board that the University's purpose in purchasing the properties is twofold. The first is to ensure sufficient unobstructed airspace exists around the airport for approaches and takeoffs by aircraft, and the second is to ensure that compatible land uses -- such as light industrial development -- are closest to the airport.

"The airport wants to be the best good neighbor it can be," Finley said. "With these properties becoming available, we have an opportunity to do this right, and that's what we're going to do."

The property purchases are in accordance with the airport's master plan, which includes a main runway extension project begun last fall. The extension project is part of a long-range improvement plan designed to meet the existing and growing demand for air service to and from central Pennsylvania.

The airport serves as a gateway for Penn State and other major employers in the region. With nearly 200,000 passengers a year, it is the seventh busiest airport out of 16 scheduled service airports in the Commonwealth.

Consistent with FAA requirements, all purchase prices have been approved by the FAA. The project is funded 90 percent by the FAA, 5 percent by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and 5 percent from the passenger facilities charge that airline passengers pay when they buy an airline ticket.

The airport's $18 million runway extension project includes the lengthening of the runway from its current 5,000 feet to an ultimate length of 6,700 feet, as well as other supporting infrastructure improvements.

The airport hosts 54,000 takeoffs and landings a year. Three airlines using the airport have nearly 40 regularly scheduled daily flights to and from Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C. and Detroit.

In addition to serving area businesses and travelers, the airport is home to many aviation-related services. It is used by various law enforcement agencies, emergency medical services and air freight carriers. It will also be home to the Pennsylvania Air National Guard 112th Air Traffic Control Flight sometime in late 1998.

The airport tenants and visitors to the University Park Airport generate significant economic benefits on an annual basis, providing approximately 139 jobs and $12 million in payroll. Also, a recent report estimated the impact of direct spending and secondary visitor-related spending at $68 million.

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Contacts:
Alan Janesch (814) 865-7517 (office) (814) 867-3621 (home) axj12@psu.edu
Christy Rambeau (814) 865-7517 (office) (814) 237-9046 (home) cmr7@psu.edu