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Kentucky Seeks to Improve Airports

By Angela Hatton

Mayfield, KY – A representative from the Kentucky Aviation Department updated Purchase Area Development District officials yesterday on the state's efforts to improve air service. Aviation Department Deputy Commissioner Steve Parker hopes to implement projects soon that will improve airports in Mayfield, Murray, Fulton, Paducah, and the lakes area. He says budget cuts have limited what the department's been able to accomplish.

"We are now essentially doing safety and maintenance projects only, with a few new starts but not many. But eventually that's going to be solved and we're going to be doing more new projects. New fuel systems, larger parking aprons, more hangars, better fencing."

Parker says the next big projects for the region will be updating lighting at Barkley Regional Airport and at the state parks. Officials also plan to extend the landing strip at the Fulton airport from 27-hundred feet to four thousand feet. Parker says a viable air system is essential to economic development, disaster relief, and homeland security.