For five years, Winkler County Airport has been transformed with renovation projects.
The airport was recognized for it’s improvement as it was awarded the Most Improved Airport Award.
The award is presented annually by TxDOT to the airport that has seen the most significant improvements thanks to local efforts and initiatives.
On Tuesday, State Rep. Brooks Landgraf (R-Odessa) joined Winkler County Judge Charles Wolf in a presentation at Winkler County Airport to commemorate the achievement.
“This is definitely a day for celebration,” Landgraf said. “Judge Wolf here from Winkler County has been working for five years on this project and have invested $2 million of their own money and now we’re in a state-of-the-art facility for an airport this size and I’m so proud to see their hard work pay off and be recognized.”
The project included renovation work on the terminal building including a new AC system, complete roof replacement and repairs to electrical and sanitation systems.
“It’s a very significant award to the airport because when we started out, the airport was in pretty dire shape,” Wolf said. “So we got rehabilitation on the runways and the taxiways that will allow for safer landing markings. It’s improved general aviation in the Winkler County Airport. We’ve added facilities which has allowed us to bring in more aircraft out of here and keep our status up at the airport.”
The project was completed in November, 2020.
Winkler County also funded the rehabilitation of the airport entrance road, auto parking areas and the hangar access taxiway.
“The significance of the award is that the county has been awarded,” Project Manager Bijan Jamalabad said. “This is the kind that they give every year to a very special airport that has gone the extra mile to improve the airport, not only with help by TxDOT but also on their own. They’ve done tremendous amount of work out here to get the airport to the condition that it is. A few years ago, when you came out to this airport, you wouldn’t see this airport being this nice, beautiful and air-conditioned like it is now.”
The improvements have helped bring in more aircraft to base at the airport and increased revenue and fuel sales.
“The county and the judge and commissioners and the entire community need to be applauded because of their support,” Jamalabad said. “As the oil and gas business in the region, every single day is getting busier and busier and this airport is a significant help to fly businessmen and people from corporate to access the entire region.”
More work is expected in the near future including replacing the existing lights on the runway.
“Now, we’re working on the lighting projects,” Wolf said. “It should be next year when we get funding. It should be September or October when we get the funding and see if the project gets lit.”
