RICHLANDS, N.C. (WITN) – State representatives and Onslow County officials announced a $29 million investment from the newly adopted state budget to expand the runway at Albert J. Ellis Airport.
The extension will allow larger planes to use the airport. A runway that can accommodate larger aircraft means more opportunities for the county.
“This is one of the projects we thought would be a very good one for Onslow County, good for the airport. Onslow County is in a great location, centrally located between Wilmington, New Bern, and Eastern North Carolina and there could be some possibilities for there to be a hub here for FedEx and UPS,” Phil Shepard, Onslow County state representative said.
Onslow County hopes to attract the services of larger shipping companies that do overnight and rapid delivery.
The runway expansion will also allow for larger airlines to accommodate direct flights from the airport out west.
“We think this…