The Mobile Airport Authority has received a $9.1 million grant to rehabilitate the primary runway serving Mobile’s aviation business cluster. Work is expected to start in March or April.
Runway 14/32 serves the Mobile Downtown Airport (BFM), and the entire Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley, home to some 90 businesses including the Airbus Final Assembly Line, VTMAE’s maintenance and repair facility, Signature Flight FBO and Terminal One. Most of Mobile’s commercial passenger air traffic uses the Authority’s Mobile Regional Airport at Bates Field (MOB), although preliminary work is underway to move those flights to the Aeroplex in the next few years.
The Department of Transportation grant brings funds from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 and Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
“We are grateful for U.S. Senator Richard Shelby’s support and his commitment to improving the safety and efficiency of airports across the state,” said Chris Curry, Mobile Airport Authority president. “This project will allow us to further our mission of providing premium air-service to the residents of Mobile and Baldwin County in a safe and secure manner.”
Built in 1929, Runway 14/32 was extended in 1955 and has been rehabilitated and upgraded several times since, most recently in 2005.
The Mobile Airport Authority owns and operates Mobile Regional Airport (MOB), Mobile Downtown Airport (BFM) and the Brookley Aeroplex generating $1.8 billion in economic value for the state of Alabama.
Mobile Regional Airport is served by Delta Airlines, American Airlines and United Airlines providing service to four major hubs: Atlanta, Dallas, Charlotte and Houston. MOB is also home to Airbus Space and Defense. BFM is located next to the Port of Mobile and the unparalleled geographical location supports the Authority’s multimodal ability to bring maritime, rail, trucking and aviation together in one location.
