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Airport manager outlines master plan timeline, growth and runway rehabilitation estimate
Summary
Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport reported increased operations and based aircraft, outlined an FAA‑ and FDOT‑supported master plan update (about 18 months) and described runway rehabilitation and other capital projects that staff will pursue in coming years.
Nate Coyle, airport manager, told the City Commission that Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport recorded roughly 59,625 takeoffs and landings in the 2025 calendar year — about 24% higher than the operations figure used in the 2015 master plan — and that based aircraft have risen from roughly 62 in 2017 to 84 today. "We have better information now to give us more accurate operational information with ADS‑B and satellite technology," Coyle said.
The increase in operations and aircraft underpinned the need for an updated airport master plan, Coyle said. The master plan process, funded primarily by the FAA with some FDOT and a small airport match, will take about 18 months to complete and includes aerial surveying, forecast approval from FAA/FDOT, geometry studies and environmental/land‑use compatibility reviews, including noise contours for the city to consider.
Coyle described several capital projects: drainage improvements (100% state funded), T‑hangar design under an FDOT grant, taxiway roadway rehabilitation already completed, and a multi‑year runway 13/31 rehabilitation project that staff estimated could cost in the neighborhood of $6 million to $9 million depending on the FAA‑approved alternative. He said FAA typically covers about 90% of the eligible portion of such projects. "We really can't nail down the estimate nor the FAA share of that project" until the FAA approves the forecast and alternatives, Coyle said.
Coyle also noted the airport hosts a new permanent Air Methods life‑flight tenant and several other base tenants and nonaviation tenants that contribute revenue. He described pavement progress over the last several years and said remaining pavement needs are concentrated on the runway and one taxiway area where FAA geometry questions must be resolved before final design.
The manager said projects in the near term will include runway planning and continued work on T‑hangar and taxiway designs; staff will bring further details and schedule items to the commission as FAA approvals and grant phases advance. The presentation concluded with commissioners thanking staff and asking few follow‑up questions.
The commission did not take formal action on the master plan in the meeting; Coyle said staff will return with further details as the FAA review progresses.
