ARTICLE
Marion Chamber Ambassadors will join City officials, staff and community leaders for a ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of the runway expansion project at the Marion Municipal Airport. The ceremony will take place on Friday, July 31 at Noon at 1690 Marion Airport Rd. The runway officially reopened last Friday. It was expanded from 23-feet to 60-feet wide. The project included additional grading, drain tile, runway lighting and other safety improvements. The project cost about $1.8 million, funded in part by more than $424,000 in support from the Iowa Department of Transportation and other grants for the runway design and zoning. About the Airport From 1963 to 2015, the Marion Airport served the community as a privately owned, public use airport. In the spring of 2015, the Marion Airport transferred into a hybrid public-private ownership to ensure that the airport would continue to meet the needs of the community. With the new joint ownership, the Marion Airport became the Marion Municipal Airport. The City of Marion owns the runway, while fixed base operations and routine maintenance are handled under contract with LuxAir Aviation. On-site offerings include flight training, aircraft maintenance, private hangar rentals and sales, fueling stations, and other support services for the airport. A seven member Marion Municipal Airport Committee works to ensure proper airport development and operation.