Plans to upgrade the City of Levelland and Hockley County Airport are now in place and expected to happen in the latter part of Summer.
In the December 13, 2023 council meeting, the group considered and eventually approved a resolution authorizing 10% matching funds for the Levelland Municipal, Hockley County airport lighting project. Additionally, the Hockley County Commissioners’ Court approved the plan during a regular meeting January 8.
The City of Levelland and Hockley County jointly own and operate a public use airport known as the Levelland Municipal/Hockley County Airport that is classified as a General Business Airport by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Texas Department of Transportation. The city’s intent has been to make certain improvements which include: Install Medium Intensity Runway Lights (MIRL) at Runways 17/35; Install an electrical vault; Install Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI-2) on Runway 35, Replace airfield signs at runways 17/35, and Replace mandatory airfield signs on runways 8/26.
The total project cost is estimated to be $2.1 million which includes $1.9 million for the installation and construction phase and $200,000 for the design phase of the Levelland Airport Lighting Project. The city and county will be responsible for 10% of the total project costs which are currently estimated to be $212,500. The city currently has approximately $55,000 in fund balance and there is approximately $300,000 in the airport oil royalties account.
City Manager James Fisher touched on how valuable it is to have a local airport that can cater to a wide variety of aircraft, but how it is also important to maintain the facility for the future.
“The airport is an important asset to our community and it is a great economic development tool,” said Fisher. “A while back the airport extended their runways because a lot of traffic from jets owned by oilfield companies continued to visit the area and the longer runway was required for bigger aircraft.”
Fisher believes that the there needs to be reinvestment back into the airport which the approved project from the city and county should help accomplish.
“The new lighting system will help the runway lights and I will be meeting with airport exports to talk about doing an airport master plan,” explained Fisher. “That will show us what we already have out there, how we can also grow our airport and will provide us with more opportunities for grants.”
There has been a steady demand for hangar space as the airport is currently limited. Fisher hopes to address those issues in the coming future by building new ones, partnering with someone to construct new hangars or seek alternative options.
The Airport Advisory Board which is comprised of five citizens is appointed jointly by the City Council and Hockley County Commissioners to serve two-year terms. The board is responsible for advising and making recommendations to the City Council and County Commissioners in areas of planning, development, construction, enlargement, improvement, maintenance, equipment, operation, protection, and policing of the Levelland Municipal Airport.
Fisher explained that a few recommendations that have been made from the board have had to be placed on the back burner. He is hopeful that those projects will continue to accomplished at a manageable pace.
“Not just our airport, but the City of Levelland is located in a unique place,” said Fisher. “Lubbock is right down the road and it offers everything that individuals cannot find here in Levelland. We have a lot of great things in our town as it is and we need to capitalize on that proximity to Lubbock.”
Fisher hopes individuals looking for a new area to live will see that the City of Levelland has a lot to offer and those who are involved in the aviation world would notice that Levelland is a viable option.
While Lubbock has a International Airport and two private airports, Fisher believes that private aviators may consider Levelland as a place to land due to the proximity of Lubbock and various towns that do not have an airport the size of Levelland.