BEAVER, WV (LOOTPRESS) – The Raleigh County Memorial Airport, a major aviation and economic development hub for southern West Virginia, will be the site of a public reception celebrating progress on site development for a 105-acre expansion of the airport for recruitment of aviation and aerospace manufacturers.
Improvements at the airport — a new 105 acres ideal for economic development, and the new aviation maintenance training program at New River Community and Technical College — make the New River Gorge region ideal for aerospace and cargo businesses and jobs. A training hangar for the college’s aviation maintenance program will be located adjacent to the airport.
Local, state and federal financing contributed to the $10.4 million economic development project. Major funding sources include:
$1.75 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA)
$1.75 million from the Appalachian Regional Commission
$3,239,000 through the Infrastructure Jobs Development Council (IJDC) from the State of West Virginia)
$1,365,000 from the Raleigh County Commission
$200,000 from Appalachian Power
$1 million interim project financing from Pendleton Community Bank
$75,000 from the Raleigh County Memorial Airport through a Federal Aviation Administration grant
“The airport is poised for a major influx of new businesses and increased air travel thanks to the leadership of our long-time airport manager Tom Cochran and the infusion of multiple sources of funding to create site-ready land to recruit aerospace and cargo firms,” said Jina Belcher, Executive Director of the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority.
“Raleigh County Memorial Airport has ample land and infrastructure to attract aerospace industry businesses to southern West Virginia,” Belcher added. “The airport is located three miles east of Beckley and about 30 minutes from the Virginia border, offering daily commercial flights as well as private and charter options.
In addition, RCMA is open 24 hours a day, employs 12 people, features two runways and two industrial parks, and is located near three interstate highways. The airport is only one mile from the convergence of I-64 and I-77, and one hour from I-81.”
Belcher added that the region, which is home to West Virginia Institute of Technology and New River Community and Technical College, offers two- and four-year academic programs as well as an abundant labor supply for companies seeking new or expanded facilities.
She said, “these training and education opportunities were part of the reason we were awarded the AEROReady Community Certification, enhancing workforce potential in seven counties.” Those counties include Raleigh, Fayette, Summers, Nicholas, Wyoming, Mercer, and McDowell.
The reception event will be held on Monday, August 21, 2023, and will feature remarks from U.S. Senator Joe Manchin along with retired RMCA airport manager and recent West Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame inductee Tom Cochran, Executive Director of the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority Jina Belcher, and WV Secretary of Economic Development Mitch Carmichael.
The reception will begin at approximately 10:30am at Raleigh County Memorial Airport, 176 Airport Road, Beaver, WV 25813.