DBIA Almost Finished With $20M Runway

Daytona Beach International Airport is almost done with a $20 million runway project, and according to officials, it is being paid for with taxpayer money.

The Daytona Beach International Airport has a lot of activity, but most of it is from the Embry Riddle flight school and not commercial flights. Airport officials said the upgrade is still something they need.

Instead of jets landing or taking off on the main runway of the Daytona Beach airport, on Wednesday there were steamrollers along with dump trucks and asphalt milling machines. The workers at the airport said they are months away from completing a $17.2 million replacement of the entire runway with new lights and an electrical system.

Officials said that the money spent will modernize the runway, but the airport itself only has two major air carriers: US Airways and Delta.

"Airlines don't serve airports, they serve a market, so it's based on numbers and how they evaluate if they can be profitable," said an airport official.

In April, about three million passengers came through the Orlando International Airport compared to the 50,000 passengers who flew to or from the Daytona Beach airport, according to officials.

Statistically, that means for each passenger in Daytona Beach, there were 60 passengers in Orlando.

The Daytona Beach Airport officials said that the runway project is maintenance that has to be done. There are cracks in the old runway's tarmac and officials said the Florida Department of Transportation requires that it be fixed.

"It doesn't generate the same kind of revenue as you would in an Orlando or a Miami from the commercial air traffic, but it's still an important mission in the FAA and of this airport to serve the general aviation," said an airport official.

Officials said construction will continue on the runway throughout the month.