A couple of recent news items in The Republic reminded us again of the importance of Columbus Municipal Airport to our community now and in the years to come.
Airports are vital indicators of the health and vibrancy of a community. And by that measure, the region served by Columbus Municipal is, well, flying pretty high.
“With its total operations rising approximately 40% during the past seven years, the Columbus Municipal Airport is one of the fastest growing general aviation airports in Indiana,” The Republic’s Jana Wiersema reported. “Last year, the airport reported more than 55,000 aviation operations” — more commonly known as takeoffs and landings to those of us who haven’t yet gotten our wings.
That’s about 150 planes taking off or landing at the airport, on average, every day, 365 days a year.
With all that traffic, it’s past time to retire a control tower that has been in dutiful service for going on 80 years.
And with a nod to the city’s modernist architectural legacy, the airport is wise to plan for a replacement tower that can serve future needs for growth and expansion while also signaling to visitors that they’re someplace special.
The airport’s Board of Aviation Commissioners is working with the Federal Aviation Administration and engineering firm Woolpert to design and build a new 100-foot-tall air traffic control tower, supported by a grant from the Cummins Foundation Architecture Program, Wiersema reported.
“This is a special opportunity for the airport to contribute to Columbus’ history and create a unique structure that adds to the beautiful landscape of our community,” said Brian Payne, Columbus Municipal Airport director.
“We are excited about this unique opportunity to contribute to Columbus’ wonderful architectural history and heritage,” said Jim Schacht, vice president of corporate responsibility for Cummins Inc. and CEO of the Cummins Foundation. “The new tower will serve as yet another example of our community’s continuing commitment to innovation, art, and design.”
This is further proof that Cummins takes seriously its longstanding commitments to corporate responsibility and our community, and we applaud this latest display of generosity that will create a lasting impression for years to come.
The airport also announced last week an agreement with electric aircraft company BETA Technologies to install a new charging station that will be capable of powering electric planes and electric vehicles.
Columbus is also forward-thinking in signing this deal, particularly because it will cost the airport nothing, Payne said.
“It’s really new technology, so they’re looking at expanding this network of charging capabilities across the United States. So they’re doing it, again, at all of their cost, and then they pay us a percentage of the electric that actually gets used off of it,” he said.
Payne said the company is expected to begin construction of the charging stations in the next few months.
“The company is working to create a nationwide network of electric aircraft charging stations and aims to have nearly 150 online by 2025, per its website,” Wiersema reported.
With developments like these, our local airport is on course for a bright future.
