Officials in Statesville, N.C., held a groundbreaking ceremony May 8 to mark the beginning of construction of a new terminal for the city's regional airport. Elected leaders and city staff were among those on hand for the kickoff event.
Statesville is located approximately 41 mi. north of Charlotte in the state's western Piedmont region.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) awarded the city a grant to help cover the price tag for the new three-story facility, which will cost about $12.5 million.
In speaking with the Iredell Free News, airport Manager John Ferguson said that the project was the "embodiment" of perseverance.
He explained that Statesville's airport has helped the city land several industries over the years, including Cheney Brothers, Sherwin-Williams, Ashley Furniture, Briggs and Stratton, and Kohler.
Statesville Mayor Costi Kutteh agreed.
"This airport is an 80-year overnight success," he said. "Over the past [eight decades], this airport has received $60 million in federal, state and local support."
State Sen. Vickie Sawyer and her N.C. House colleague Rep. Jeffrey McNeely, both of whom are Republicans representing the Statesville-Iredell County area, were instrumental in securing the state grant for the new terminal.
Sawyer said advocating funds for Statesville Regional Airport is important, adding, "It's in our DNA in Raleigh to invest."
McNeely also shared his aspirations for the airport with the local online news source.
"We're talking to Elizabeth City State University to bring their flight school here," he told the Free News. "We could be the aviation hub of Western North Carolina or for the whole state. This can change generations for this part of the world."
Airport Offers Additional Transportation Advantages
Statesville Regional Airport (KSVH) is a general aviation facility owned by the city, which has approximately 30,000 residents.
Its 7,003-ft. runway and full parallel taxiway can handle all sizes of corporate aircraft. The airport provides corporate aviation facilities for Fortune 500 companies as well as several NASCAR motor sports teams.
Additionally, several aviation parts and equipment manufacturers make their home in the region. KSVH is now home to Jet East Gama, a national company and one of the largest maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) providers in the United States.
The airport's proximity to a pair of major interstate highways, I-40 and I-77, which intersect northeast of the downtown area, gives Statesville outstanding transportation advantages. In addition, each one provides direct access to other important U.S. highways.
For instance, I-40 Eastbound connects with I-85 in Greensboro, N.C., which, in turn, takes drivers north to I-95 in Petersburg, Va. Travelers on I-77 Northbound can reach I-81 near Wytheville in southwestern Virginia, while southbound I-77 intersects with I-20 in Columbia, S.C.
