VALDOSTA — The Valdosta Regional Airport’s apron expansion project is completed, aside from some finishing touches.

The airport apron is the area where airplanes are parked, refueled, loaded and unloaded.

Due to delays earlier in the year and Hurricane Hermine, the expected completion date of the apron had been pushed back to mid-January; however, the contractors completed the job more than a month before the expected completion date.

“It’s huge and we are glad to have it,” Airport Manager Jim Galloway said about the finished apron.

While the Annual Capital Improvement Plan was approved by the authority at its last meeting, it is still being reviewed for approval by the Federal Aviation Administration and should be finalized within the next week, the airport’s consulting engineer Jacob Redwine said.

The Annual CIP is a list that shows the anticipated projects for the next five years and begins with the 2017 fiscal year.

There was a slight decrease in air traffic in November compared to October, according to the Valdosta Regional Airport Air Traffic Summary. However compared to November 2015, air traffic is up by just over 500.

An Airport Christmas lunch will be held at the Salty Snapper Dec. 15. In years past the VLCAA would hold its December meeting at the luncheon, but decided against holding the meeting at the luncheon to make the luncheon more about the employees and not the authority members.

The VLCAA meets the second Wednesday of every month at 8 a.m. in the airport manager’s office at the Valdosta Regional Airport. All meetings are open to the public. 

Jason Smith is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1256.