With over a week to go in 2018, the Prescott Regional Airport appears on the verge of reaching an important milestone in the eyes of the Federal Aviation Administration.
Airport officials anticipate the airport will have its 10,000th passenger of the year some time after Christmas. Surpassing that number would reclassify it as a primary airport, a classification that means an increase in federal dollars at an important time.
Prescott Airport would see its annual federal funding grow from $150,000 to $1 million. It would also be eligible for larger amounts of federal assistance for improvement projects, including an already-planned terminal rebuild.
The airport's director says the new terminal will be an important step forward in growing the airport.
“Our old terminal was built in 1948, and it’s undersized for plumbing and electrical, and frankly it’s wall-to-wall people," says Robin Sobotta. "So it’ll be great to have the extra space and modern facilities.”
The Prescott City Council recently saw a 30 percent design for the new terminal, and approved the project to move ahead to final design. It is estimated to cost nearly $12 million.
Sobotta says the goal is to break ground on the new terminal in September 2019, and finish construction by summer 2020.