Mayor Joseph P. Ganim
Bridgeport, CT
For Immediate Release For More Information:
October 3, 2016 Av Harris (203) 814-7992
av.harris@bridgeportct.gov
-Press Release-
Mayor Ganim, Mayor Harkins of Stratford, City Council Members and State Lawmakers Reopen Runway at Sikorsky Memorial Airport
20 Year Joint Effort Reopens Runway 6-24 with Safety Improvements
Bridgeport, CT –Mayor Joe Ganim today joined Mayor John Harkins of Stratford, City Council Members and State Lawmakers to reopen Runway 6-24 at Igor. I Sikorsky Memorial Airport. Mayor Ganim boarded a twin-engine Wheels Up jet with City Council members Tom McCarthy, Jeanette Herron and Anthony Paoletto to make the first inaugural landing at the new and improved runway. The ceremony recognized the more than 20 year effort to re-construct the runway and bring critical safety improvements to the airport, including replacing the South Main Street metal blast fence with a new Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS).
“It was an honor to be on the first plane to ever land at the new runway,” said Mayor Ganim. “This partnership with the Town of Stratford proves municipalities united with a common goal can bring a lot of good. It was with our combined effort that Runway 6-24 was successfully completed. The reopening was a long time coming and I know it will only ensure the safety of the many individuals who utilize the Sikorsky Airport on a daily basis.”
Runway 6-24 was repaved and equipped with new runway lights. Engineers also included a 300-foot-long EMAS, a feature that could have saved the lives of eight individuals who died in a crash on the night of April 27, 1994 when a chartered jet hit the blast deflector. This innovation is placed at the end of a runway to decelerate an overrunning aircraft in an emergency.
The $46 million project was funded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), with the state and city of Bridgeport covering 10 percent of the cost.
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