FAIRHOPE — A $4.8 million airport grant will allow the Fairhope Airport Authority to improve the runways at the H.L "Sonny" Callahan Airport, city officials said.

City Councilman Jack Burrell, the council representative on the Airport Authority said the Federal Aviation Administration is providing most of the funding for the project.

"The amount that we're being offered is about $4.8 million," Burrell said at a recent council work session. "That's a considerable amount. We don't have opportunities to get grants that large that often and that money will be used to rehabilitate the runway. They're going to add several inches of asphalt to the runway and they're also going to replace the runway and taxi lighting system and guidance signs, which are rundown and we're constantly replacing bulbs, so while we're rehabbing the runway, we thought it best to replace those lights as well."

Asked if the improvements could allow larger aircraft to land at the airport, Burrell said the changes could allow some airplanes that now cannot use the runways to land and take off. He said the improvements would not allow large commercial aircraft to use the runways.

"It does increase size of aircraft, but I don't want people to think that means they're going to be landing 737s out there. You always hear that rumor float around anytime you make improvements," Burrell said.

"We have some good-sized corporate jets that land out there. We have some more that want to land there that simply can't, but the runway needed a new layer of asphalt anyway," Burrell added.

Burrell said that since Fairhope is the official sponsor of the Airport Authority, the grant requires municipal support and the signature of Mayor Sherry Sullivan, but the application does not commit the city to provide any funding.
He said the FAA will provide 90% of the funding, the Alabama Department of Transportation another 5% and the Airport Authority the final 5%.

Burrell said city officials will discuss loaning the Airport Authority the 5% match. He said the loan could allow the authority to fund the project without having to pay a higher interest rate.