Spring will bring a new terminal building to Connellsville Airport (VVS) in Pennsylvania. The project is the latest in a string of improvements the Fayette County Airport Authority has been slowly making to the pre-World War II airport over the past two years.
The airport, located approximately 50 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, was opened in 1939, but barely saw civilian traffic before it was taken over by the military for the war effort.
“In 1947 it went back to civilian use,” said Fred K. Davis, an engineer and spokesman for the airport authority, “but because the area is still rural, there hasn’t been a lot of development around it. The airport is the only airport with a hard surface runway in Fayette County.”
According to Davis, the new 6,000-foot terminal will be built next to a World War II-era hangar on the airport.
Runway 5/23, measuring 3,480 x 100, is also on the list for improvement. The airport’s 12-year plan calls for its possible extension.
“The length depends on the cost-benefit analysis,” said Davis. “It could be as long as 5,000 feet, including the overrun area.”
Davis noted that the community has been very supportive of improvements at the airport, which is home to about 50 aircraft. “They have been coming to the meetings and participating in the process,” he said.