Mercer County Regional Airport (HZE) is in the process of completing an Airport Master Plan to evaluate the facilities, role the airport currently has, and what will be needed in the future. KLJ Aviation Planning and Engineering will be conducting the planning process while working closely with the Mercer County Regional Airport Authority.

The project began in September 2023 and is expected to be completed in Winter of 2024. This study is being conducted in compliance with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) guidelines and includes several key elements as follows;

  • Examine Existing Conditions
  • Forecast of Aviation Activity & Critical Design Aircraft
  • Establish Future Facility Requirements
  • Examine Alternative Facility Layouts
  • Draft a new Airport Layout Plan
  • Form an Implementation Plan



FAQ

By FAA definition , an Airport Master Plan is a comprehensive study of an airport and usually describes the short-, medium- and long-term development plans to meet future aviation demand.

What this means is that it is a road map for how the aviation demands of the community can be met into the future with sufficient flexibility to allow for each different element of aviation to flourish at the airport as much as possible without impeding other growth.

For HZE there were several upcoming needs identified by the FAA and City that require planning before such projects can proceed to assure the airport is appropriately sized for land area and runway width/length to meet future demand.

For each project, a Master Plan Advisory Committee is assembled to provide input and feedback through the process. The committee consists of community representatives, airport users, the FAA and State who contribute their time to assure the future facilities and needs of Mercer County Regional Airport will effectively serve the aviation demand into the future.

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Contact

Name Kent Penney, KLJ Lead Aviation Planner
Phone 605-872-5005
Email Kent.penney@kljeng.com