Macon Downtown Airport celebrates re-opening of runway

On Monday, November 18, we celebrated the official re-opening of Runway 10-28 at the Macon Downtown Airport.

"This project has been a long time coming as it has been much needed at our Downtown Airport," said Mayor Lester Miller. "A renovated new runway will help attract more people and Middle Georgia State University students to new heights."

The reconstruction and line of sight correction project on Runway 10-28 was made possible by $5.7 million in grant money from the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

"I'm very proud of what our School of Aviation has accomplished and what it has accomplished here," said Middle Georgia State University President Dr. Christopher Blake. "It's all due to the relationships, energy, and leadership we have with the Dean. We have a footprint across the state because of the excellence of our School of Aviation."

Middle Georgia State University uses the airport for its School of Aviation, which is the fastest growing school at MGA. In 2016, the school started with 12 students and quickly grew that to more than 100. Josiah Metcalfe is one of those students, while also working with the Middle Georgia Regional Airport.

"Having the convenience of a Downtown Airport allows us to maximize the training time and focus on success," said Josiah. "The improvements have been significant for pilot safety and overall quality of training here."

The Georgia Forestry Commission also uses the airport for its aviation units. They do most of its aircraft maintenance there and launch aerial firefighting from the airport when there are fires nearby.

"There have been many, many years planning this project, working through all of the issues, and getting it funded, but today, we have accomplished that goal, and are in compliance," said Macon-Bibb Aviation Director Doug Faour.

Construction on the project started in January 2024.