The Emporia Airport has a longer runway after completing a project to extend its runway by exactly 3 feet. Yes, you read that right. 3 feet. As minuscule and insignificant as this extension may appear it’s potentially a game changer for the airport because it crosses an important threshold thus opening the airport up to different options which could prove lucrative.
Emporia, Kansas is about halfway between Wichita and Topeka and kind of in the middle of nowhere. The small town boasts a population of around 25,000 or so, and until recently had a runway that just wasn’t long enough for its big plans.
The Emporia Airport’s runway was tantalizingly close to a minimum threshold for many years coming in at 4,999 feet long, just shy of the 5,000-foot threshold that makes it more appealing to a wider variety of aircraft.
According to KVOE news, the airport recently completed an expansion of the runway taking it over the 5,000-foot threshold to a grand total of 5,002 feet.
The newly lengthened runway will now be more appealing to aircraft looking for 5,000-foot minimum runways with the longer runway more planes will be inclined to land there and with them, more revenue.
The extension was part of a $75,000 project started earlier this year that saw enhanced lighting among other improvements and although wasn’t as long as some would have preferred, it’s a good start.
