ERI Runway Extension Complete and Useable

November 8, 2012 - The Erie International Airport runway extension is complete with the first planes landing on it today.

    Seven years later and two winters ahead of schedule, the new runway at the is complete and useable.

    Thanks to North Coast Flight School we had the chance to get a bird's eye view of the entire runway, being one of the first planes to touchdown on Runway 6-24.

    The runway was open for use yesterday, but because the direction of the wind, no planes were able to actually land on the new end of the runway.

    So this morning, for the very first time, planes landed on Runway 6-24.

    Aircraft now have 7,500 feet of pavement available for landing and 8,420 feet for take off.

    There is a standard 1,000 feet of safety area at both ends of the runway.

    November 7 was the official opening day of the runway.

    The runway project isn't complete yet.

There is still $8 million worth of work left that will be complete next August.

    It was an $83 million project with nearly $60 million in FAA and Bureau of Aviation grants.