Carson City Airport looking at adding nighttime operations

The Carson City Airport has several options for adding nighttime operations, according to a feasibility report commissioned by the airport.

Paul Hannah, chief airspace and flight operations engineer, Lean Engineering, told the Airport Authority on Wednesday it would cost an estimated $3-5 million and take two to four years, depending on funding, to add the equipment needed to provide safe, nighttime landing for pilots.

The study didn’t include environmental analysis or design, and the cost estimate doesn’t include the cost of land required to install the equipment. Some of the lighting needed to implement nighttime operations would be installed on land outside the airport and would require easements or leasing.

The lack of nighttime operations “has been an ongoing issue with the airport, and this demonstrates it is a viable plan to pursue,” Ken Moen, airport manager, told the authority.

The next step is to get feedback on the study from the airport’s many stakeholders, including the public. The study will soon be posted on the airport’s website, flycarsoncity.com.

Also being posted on the web site in the next week are seven surveys to be used for developing the airport’s strategic plan.

Each survey is geared to a different stakeholder — one is for fixed-based operators, for example, and another for pilots.

The authority heard a presentation on an economic impact study done by the University of Nevada, Reno, Center for Economic Development.

The study found the airport had an total economic impact to Carson City of $35.7 million and generated and supported roughly 270 jobs.