The Kentland Municipal Airport has a brand new runway, thanks to a $2-million grant.

The Newton County, IN airport was originally built with a 3,500-foot runway. Officials decided to extend it to 4,000 feet, which will accommodate larger private jets.

A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Friday afternoon to showcase the improvements.

Airport Manager Charles Classen said the improvements will allow better access to Newton County.
Classen explained, "runway length was an insurance issue, keeping larger aircraft away. Now, we have the runway length to meet their criteria." Hopefully, he said, "we can begin to entice them back."
The runway project had been in the works for seven years. Construction took about a month and a half.

94.1 WGFA