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Denton Enterprise Airport master plan reviewed after council approval; board hears long‑range facility, funding and runway priorities
Summary
Board members heard an overview of the council‑approved 20‑year Denton Enterprise Airport master plan, which forecasts moderate growth, prioritizes pavement strengthening and parking/hangar capacity, and keeps options for runway extension and advanced air mobility while noting FAA funding eligibility.
Ryan Adams, airport director for Denton Enterprise Airport, told the Economic Development Partnership Board that the City Council approved the airport’s 20‑year master plan the night before and walked the board through its key findings and development priorities.
Adams described the document as a facilities plan that inventories current assets, projects aviation demand and presents a menu of potential projects for the next two decades. He emphasized that periodic updates are an FAA requirement to retain grant eligibility: “If we don't, they won't give us money,” Adams said.
The plan forecasts modest annual growth in operations (about 1.9% per year) and higher growth in based aircraft (about 2.8% per year), with a trend toward larger, heavier business aircraft. Adams said the airport recorded a little over 200,000 takeoffs and landings last year and expects long‑term demand to rise toward roughly 323,000 annual operations under the central forecast.
Because the forecasted fleet will include larger aircraft, recommendations focus on strengthening pavement and expanding ramp and hangar capacity rather than increasing the main runway length; Adams said the main runway will likely remain near 7,002 feet but that strengthening will allow heavier aircraft to operate. The plan includes a potential 1,000‑foot extension of the west parallel runway as a long‑term option to improve redundancy and accommodate some larger types.
Adams said the plan was intentionally broad so projects can be prioritized as demand and private interest evolve. Inclusion in the plan makes projects eligible for federal Airport Improvement Program grants; Adams reminded the board that the FAA frequently funds approved projects at about 90 percent. “The FAA will fund projects that they approve at 90%,” he said.
Board members raised concerns about the airport’s operating budget and urged the EDP board to explore incentives and recruitment strategies to attract larger aviation businesses and hangar developers. Members and staff also discussed advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems; Adams said Denton is participating in regional planning efforts and UNT is finishing an economic study on the potential for a vertiport.
Adams said staff will submit the plan to the FAA for final approval, which he estimated could take roughly six months, and directed board members to an online repository with the plan documents.
