A long-awaited project in our community has officially taken off! The Middle Georgia Regional Airport (MCN) is extending Runway 5, and County, airport, regional, and state leaders held a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, January 24 to celebrate the start of construction. You can watch the full ceremony here.  

“This extension will provide so much opportunity for the growth at our airport and will make it more convenient for our current tenants,” said Mayor Lester Miller. “This is a project that has been in the works for many years, and we are thrilled that it is finally happening.” 

The event kicked off with airplane themed music and with a skydiver flying the American flag over the runway where guests were sitting. In attendance were County leaders, airport staff, airport tenants, and many other community partners. They all got to see the start of a project that has been discussed as a need for 40 years, and more than a decade of hard work behind the scenes to make it happen. 

“The runway extension is important for a variety of reasons, such as improving safety for large aircraft operations, allowing for larger aircraft to land and take off at MCN with full payloads,” says Macon– Bibb County Aviation Director Doug Faour. “It also makes the airport more attractive for commercial airline service to other destinations and increases air-service charter opportunities to other destinations.” 

The first phase of the project will be the construction of a retaining wall near the approach end of Runway 5, which is in the southwest corner of airport property near Sardis Church Road. The estimated cost for the first phase is approximately $2 million and it’s being funded partially from the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) Highway Division. 

“The Middle Georgia Regional Airport will be better suited to compete for business, and we will be successful,” said Faour. “We’ll be successful because of our proximity to the world’s busiest airport, our proximity to Robins Air Force Base, and our location in the center of the state.”

The second phase of construction is the actual extension of the runway and the installation of an Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS). The extension should be completed in late 2024 or early 2025. 

Click here to see more pictures from the event.