Municipal officials say two years worth of upgrades at the Chatham airport are paying off.
Chatham-Kent General Manager of Infrastructure and Engineering Thomas Kelly says users are telling the municipality that great progress is being made at the municipal airport and a big reason is a $2.5-million contribution from South Kent Wind.
"We were able to extend, first of all, the runway of 500 ft. and that improves the overall angle of approach for our pilots coming in," says Kelly. "We've also purchased a new automated weather observing system that is going to give us accurate readings on the weather conditions." He adds the longer runway means the approach isn't as steep, allowing for a greater variety of planes to land at the airport.
Kelly says they've also upgraded runway and approach lights to LED technology so they're brighter, easier to see, and consume less power. He adds they've improved the drainage system and plan to do more work this year, which remains a primary concern for users.
