‘Gateway to the world’: Cedar City Airport celebrates rebuilt runway

CEDAR CITY — Commercial flight services will resume Monday at the Cedar City Airport following the completion of reconstructing the runway, which was celebrated with a Saturday ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Community members had the opportunity to speak with pilots and sit inside small aircraft at the grand reopening of the Cedar City Airport, July 18, 2020 | Photo by Kelsey Cooke, St George News / Cedar City News

Airport Manager Nick Holt welcomed community members to the grand reopening of the airport, and thanked all the individuals and entities that helped make the reconstruction of the runway a successful, on-time and under-budget project.

Holt said the airport helps support businesses in the community.

There’s many business owners and tenants that call this airport home for their aircraft that allows them to be able to go see loved ones and be able to support their businesses,” Holt said. 

Cedar City Mayor Maile Wilson-Edwards said the project was completed with funds granted by the Federal Aviation Administration, and matched by the city with in-kind contributions.

The reconstruction project began March 16 and cost approximately $16,987,778. The FAA provided $16,323,475 and Cedar City matched the grant with $859,130 in in-kind services and contributions.

Our tax dollars weren’t spent toward this project, but instead our own crews contributed and worked and did the in-kind efforts to make this project come to fruition,” Wilson-Edwards said. 

She added that the project originally required lengthening the runway.

Cedar City Mayor Maile Wilson-Edwards addressed community members during the grand reopening of the Cedar City Airport, July 18, 2020 | Photo by Kelsey Cooke, St George News / Cedar City News

We were able, due to the efficiency in aircraft now, to utilize this technology and not have to make our runway longer than it already is but instead strengthen it and save those resources,” Wilson-Edwards said.

Iron County Commissioner Mike Bleak said the airport is a benefit to the community.

This is truly a gateway to the world,” Bleak said. “The opportunities that this facility affords us, economically, socially, they’re amazing. Without this facility, Cedar City and Iron County would not be what it is today.”

Economic Development Director Danny Stewart said the airport is important to the community’s economy and helps attract tourism.

This airport has been an extremely important part of our community’s history and our economy here,” Stewart said. “This airport has brought so many people to our community and made them aware of the beautiful place that we live.”

Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, community members were invited to walk, run or ride bicycles on the new runway.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

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