Beverly Airport reports 91,600 operations in 2024; $15 million runway reconstruction planned for 2027

Airport Director Gabriel Hannafin gave the Beverly City Council an annual update on March 3, reporting 91,600 aircraft operations at Beverly Airport in calendar year 2024 and a 45.45% increase in user-generated revenue compared with the prior period.

Hannafin said the airport received just under $1.3 million in grant funding in 2024 and logged 330 noise complaints in the year. He told council members an anticipated major capital project is a full reconstruction of Runway 16/34 scheduled for federal fiscal year 2027, with a preliminary estimated total project cost of $15,000,000 and an expected standard funding split of 90% federal, 5% state and 5% local — implying about $750,000 in local funds.

The update put the runway project in a larger capital context. Hannafin said perimeter-fence replacement work — funded with grant money and intended primarily to reduce wildlife incursions — is substantially complete and cost about $920,000 in grant funding. He described ongoing aeronautical and environmental studies tied to the runway reconstruction, saying the aeronautical study is funded 90% by the Federal Aviation Administration, 5% by MassDOT and 5% locally. He also identified a subsequent taxiway-extension project with an early estimate of $6,000,000 and an approximate $300,000 local share.

Hannafin outlined several revenue changes the airport has implemented since mid-2023. He said landing fees and fuel flowage fees were increased in November 2023 and a local option jet fuel tax went into effect in January 2024. That fuel tax generated $81,259 of new revenue for the airport in calendar year 2024, he said. He also said the airport is moving leases to annual CPI adjustments where possible to stabilize and grow lease revenue.

On noise, Hannafin described a revised noise-abatement program implemented in September 2023 and a new process of logging and following up on each complaint. He said that approach has changed the tone of complaints and that flight schools based at Beverly have been cooperative; he noted that monthly complaint counts fell from as many as 65–100 per month before the program to five in December 2024 and six in January 2025. "I don't see that trend stopping," Hannafin said about increasing operations.

City budget analyst Jerry Perry, who reviewed airport operations with councilors in 2023, told the council he had made eight recommendations in 2023 and that Hannafin and airport staff have implemented nearly all of them. "I am extremely pleased to report tonight that of the 8 recommendations that I suggested, he has accomplished just about all of them," Perry said, and he added that the airport's quarterly budgets look stronger than he has seen in his tenure.

Councilors asked about remaining lease and tenant issues — including a smaller Wayside footprint at the airport — and about whether the enterprise fund can cover future local shares. Hannafin said the enterprise fund balance looks healthy and that airport staff expect the enterprise fund could cover many local shares over the next two to three years, but he did not rule out a future request for a city subsidy if projects exceed that capacity.

Council members also asked about environmental review and hangar development. Hannafin said privately funded hangar projects are proceeding through standard state environmental review with the Department of Environmental Protection and that the airport's future layout plan is being developed to avoid wetlands and to incorporate environmental protections.

The council thanked Hannafin and airport commission Chairman Kyle Retallik for the presentation and invited the airport to return for an annual update.