“Infrastructure is the lifeblood of rural America,” Berry said. “Improving our rural airports is a necessary step as the counties of Arkansas’ First Congressional District continue to be a place families and businesses want to stay and grow.”

The grants come from the Federal Aviation Administration and cover a variety of improvements:

Cross and St. Francis Counties

·        Wynne Municipal and Forrest City Municipal Airports will receive $115,000 each to conduct a site selection study for a new regional airport through the Delta Regional Airport Authority. The Delta Regional Airport Authority will manage the grants on behalf of the two cities who are equally sharing the cost of the study. Once a site has been selected, a master plan study will be conducted in order to provide guidance for airport development at the new regional airport. Once the master plan is completed, the cities of Forrest City and Wynne will conduct an environmental assessment for the new regional airport.

Independence County

·        Batesville Regional Airport will receive $300,000 to extend Runway 17/35’s taxiway in order to enhance safety and increase capacity.