VINITA, OK.— The Vinita Municipal Airport is now extending it’s runway by 1,000 feet to fly in more private and corporate aircraft. Walter Kenyon with KAMO Electric says the expansion will help bring in more business.
“When we have to go places, to Oklahoma City, Jefferson City, things like that. We’ll charter an airplane and some of our other partners that we deal with in other businesses, they also use charter aircraft to come in here intermittently. So I think it’ll make it a lot more accessible for people to use this facility,” said Walter Kenyon, KAMO Power Chief Technology Officer.
Right now, it is hard for large airplanes to fly in successfully. With the extended runway, larger aircraft will be able to land safely.
“It’s kind of a needed deal and just trying to get where we can accommodate for industry. You know, a lot of them, a lot of your corporations have their private planes and they’re a little bit bigger and need more space to take off and land,” said Delbert Bowers Vinita Director of Operations
City leaders say runway expansion will also increase tourism.
“It’s going to be attractive to industry for one thing. To be able to get their corporate executives in and out, and that sort of thing. We’re looking to try to grow. Of course, it’s going to make our airport much more nicer, user friendly,” said Bowers.
Kenyon says the expansion will allow corporate companies to fly into Vinita instead of landing in nearby by airports in other cities.
“We’ll be able to get planes in here where they might otherwise have to deviate to Grove or Miami, or possibly Joplin. And this will allow them to come directly into Vinita,” said Kenyon.
The Vinita airport runway expansion is expected to be complete in the next 30 to 45 days if weather permits.