Published on August 5, 2026 5:00 pm
Last Updated on August 5, 2026 5:01 pm
The Effingham County Airport Commission dealt with good news and bad news at Wednesday’s meeting.
The good news is that the ribbon cutting ceremony for the east-west runway extension is set for 11am on August 20. The extension of the runway will allow larger aircraft to utilize the airport.
The bad news is that work on the new hangar building is not completed. The project is 58 days beyond the scheduled completion, and the Airport Commission plans to ask the County Board to seek up to 58 days of liquidated damages; approximately $73,000.
A concern in addition to the late completion, according to Airport Commission Chairman Ken Wohltman, is that the County is losing rental revenue. Airport Manager Jerry Tate said, “Tenants have been itching to get in” to the new facility.
County Engineer Greg Koester said, “We need to make the County whole.”
Also Wednesday, Commission member Doug McDevitt provided information on a new 12,000 gallon fuel tank. A stumbling block is that State law limits the size of tanks to 10,000 gallons, but other airports in Illinois are willing to team up with the Effingham County Airport to get the law changed to accommodate the larger tanks. The law has limited the tank size due to fears of fuel containment.
Airport commissioners also discussed Phase 2 of an apron expansion, a lease for a shop building, and the coming year’s budget.
