Sanford Airport Begins $12 Million Worth of Upgrade Work
Monday, September 16, 2013
By: Matthew Peddie

September 16th, 2013 | WMFE- Work is beginning on $12 Million worth of improvements to Orlando -Sanford International Airport.

[Image: Allegiant is one of the airlines that flies to Sanford]

Most of the money- $11.2 Million-  comes from a Federal grant. It will pay for the refurbishment of the airport’s Southwest Ramp Apron, where mechanics work on commercial aircraft.

Sanford Airport CEO Larry Dale says the ramp apron dates back to the 1950s, when the airport was a US-naval air station.

“It was originally built by the Navy for fighter planes and small bombers, so it wasn’t built to the strength for group 5 commercial aircraft," says Dale.

"So it was beginning to deteriorate over the years.”

Earlier this year the airport completed an extension of its runway to accommodate bigger, heavier aircraft, like the 787 dreamliner.

In July the UK based charter company Thomson Airlines began flying dreamliners to Sanford airport.