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The Virginia Aviation Board awarded more than $6.54 million to 27 airports across the commonwealth. The money will be used to fund 40 projects that will improve the airports and the services they provide.

“Public-use airports in Virginia are vital to the success of any region’s economic development efforts,” said Rod Hall, chairman of the Virginia Aviation Board. “Our investment in these 27 airports will only help the communities they serve.”

The Farmville Regional Airport was awarded $88,476 for the replacement of a maintenance equipment storage building.

The airport receiving the most funding in this award cycle is Danville Regional Airport, which was awarded more than $1.1 million for taxiway and hangar site development projects. Other large projects include: more than $1 million to support runway, taxiway and apron rehabilitation projects at Gordonsville Municipal Airport; $872,000 for runway rehabilitation and grading at Lake Country Regional Airport; $480,000 for runway rehabilitation at Lonesome Pine Airport; and $464,000 for runway extension at Stafford Regional Airport.

Mark Flynn, director of the Virginia Department of Aviation, said, “We had a terrific mix of small, medium and large improvement projects that went before the Board of Aviation. And the $6.54 million the board approved is one of the largest awards ever to support general aviation regional, community and local service airports in Virginia.”

Aviation is a $23 billion economic engine that employs more than 146,000 people and pays more than $7.7 billion in wages across the 66 public-use airports in Virginia.