The Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport (CHO) has come under some criticism from a few local residents for its plans to extend its runway 800′, but the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors seemed willing to reaffirm its support for the project at its regular meeting, offering to put a resolution on its August 13 consent agenda.
“I had two meetings with the [Federal Aviation Administration] and the Virginia Aviation Board in the past 45 days,” said Barbara Hutchinson, CHO’s executive director, “and one of the questions was, ‘Is there community support for this project?’ because they’re making a commitment of $55 million in order for us to move forward, with zero dollars coming from either Albemarle County or the City of Charlottesville. I believe that such a resolution would be very helpful.”
 Regional flights to Charlottesville’s airport are sometimes underbooked because more runway room is needed during hot, humid weather. |
Hutchinson argued that the extension is necessary because regional jets can’t land fully loaded on the current runway at times because of high humidity and temperature, a condition known as “high density altitude.” The runway extension would keep certain regional jets from having to cut five to eight passengers per flight. The project isn’t meant to bring in additional traffic, said Hutchinson. The airport serves about 50 flights per day.
The airline industry isn’t exactly flush with cash right now, and that has had some impact on CHO. Delta has already cut an Atlanta flight, said Hutchinson, and it will stop the Charlottesville/Cincinnati route in September. Not all news was dour, however: Hutchinson said that talks are underway with an airline not currently operating out of CHO that would serve the West and Midwest.
Earlier in the Board meeting, county residents Alan and Tim Kindrick, a father/son duo, raised concerns about the CHO project, citing possible stream contamination that could affect nearby Chris Greene Lake. The airport still has some issues to work out with county staff about the erosion and sediment control plan for the runway extension and must get approval by August 20, according to Hutchinson, to satisfy the Virginia Aviation Board.
“I have to speak for the airport, they’ve been a very good steward” in two previous projects, said Mark Graham, the county’s director of community development. “We only wish that a lot of the other people would show the same care as they did.”
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