PUNTA GORDA
The Charlotte County Airport Authority reopened runway 4-22 at Punta Gorda Airport on Saturday.
It took a year of construction to prepare the runway for commercial airlines.
The new runway is a big deal, and it came with no out-of-pocket expense for the county. The project was funded by the FAA’s airport improvement program.
The runway originally built in the 1940s was in bad shape with cracks that had to be repaired.
With commercial flights back at 2021 levels, there is more air traffic out of the Punta Gorda Airport.
More flights mean more landing fees for the airport.
Sun Country and Allegiant give travelers low-cost, non-stop air service to more than 50 destinations from Punta Gorda. Air Trek offers private jet charters out of the airport as well.
It has taken a year for the $15 million construction project to be completed. Crews took out the center portion of the runway, reconstructed it, milled, and resurfaced the remaining portion.
Runway 4-22 is the preferred runway because it is the longer of the two at just over 7,000 feet.
The runway officially opened Saturday, but the first flight did not leave from the runway until Monday morning.
WINK NEWS