Fulton County Executive Airport, located just west of downtown Atlanta, received a $6 million Federal Aviation Administration grant to fund runway resurfacing and a new customs facility ahead of the eight FIFA World Cup matches Atlanta will host in 2026.
Fulton County Director of Public Works David Clark said the resurfacing work is scheduled between the second half of July and the first part of August. The customs facility is out for bid, and county officials are working to complete it before the tournament. Under current conditions, Department of Homeland Security officers drive 15 miles from Hartsfield-Jackson to meet arriving international flights, and passengers cannot leave the aircraft until they arrive. The airport already handles about 20 international flights a week.
Corporate and personal jets account for roughly 90 percent of daily operations at the field, according to Clark. The airport typically handles 170 to 180 operations a day and has reached 250 during events such as the Super Bowl.
The two projects open a 20 year master plan adopted last year, the first in more than 25 years, outlining about $100 million in improvements. A proposed runway extension from 5,900 feet to 7,000 feet would let larger aircraft fly directly to parts of Europe rather than repositioning through Hartsfield-Jackson. Hangar capacity is set to expand to 25 hangars, and a third fixed base operator is expected to begin operations.
Georgia airports received more than $13 million in Airport Infrastructure Grant funding this year across 28 grants announced in May.
Source: Site Selection Magazine - https://siteselection.com/atlanta-area-airport-ramps-up-for-the-world-cup-and-what-comes-after/