Kerrville Airport board presents annual look ahead, one with plenty of needs

Like all public meetings, the meat of the news is sometimes deep in the agenda or the proceeding, and that was certainly the case on Wednesday during the annual meeting of the Kerrville-Kerr County Airport board of directors. 

Wednesday’s meeting was given by Airport Director Mary Rohrer and directors Scott Schellhase, Robert Hamm and John Major. The meeting was attended by Kerrville Mayor Judy Eychner, Kerr County Judge Rob Kelly and members of the commissioners’ court and the Kerrville City Council. 

In the bowels of a financial presentation, the board of directors revealed the airport would need about $24 million in upgrades, including an $18 million runway extension. Of course, not all of that would be paid for by the airport — jointly owned by the city of Kerrville and Kerr County. Picking up most of the tab would have to be the Texas Department of Transportation. It’s a plan that the airport would like to undertake from 2025 through 2028. 

The more immediate needs are $2.9 million, including 

$700,000 to acquire 54 acres to create a more significant buffer around the airport. TxDOT would not fund that acquisition, meaning the airport has to come up with the money — or the city and the county. 

And it’s not like the airport is awash in cash. The operation is a revenue-neutral venture, employing three people. However, much of the airport’s capital budget is TxDOT-managed, including Federal Aviation Administration funds. So, anything the airport wants to do outside of TxDOT or the FAA must be self-funded. 

Some of the projects that the airport will need to consider implementing in 2024 include: 

• A TxDOT-required environmental assessment at a cost of $250,000, with 10% coming from the airport. 
• A $250,000 upgrade to its weather system, with 25% coming from the airport. 
• Improvement to fire protection and utility services at a cost $153,000, with the airport covering those costs. 
• Routine maintenance and repairs could cost $100,000, with a 50-50 split. 
• The largest capital project is a pavement management plan that will cost $1.2 million, but TxDOT covers the costs. 

While there are funding challenges, the underlying story of the day from the board is good things are happening at the venerable airport, where Mooney Aircraft once cranked out airplanes. Today, there’s a burgeoning aviation industry at and near the airport, and Schreiner University and Kerrville Independent School District are initiating programs to support the airport, including pilot training programs. 

But there’s more

One of the interesting notes from the airport meeting came from Airport Director Mary Rohrer, and it’s about the eclipses coming in October and in April 2024. Rohrer told the audience that more than 200 planes are expected to land at the airport during the eclipses, particularly April 2024 full eclipse. Rohrer said the airport is working with the FAA to manage the air traffic, but won’t have a plan in place until August.