The Gallatin County Regional Airport will be the first general aviation airport to serve the I-71 corridor between Louisville and Cincinnati. The non-commercial airport features a 5,000-foot by 75-foot concrete runway with a full parallel taxiway and apron.
The airport closes a logistical gap for aircraft users in the area while boosting economic development, emergency services and tourism in the region.
“This is an amazing milestone for Gallatin County and Northern Kentucky, more than 20 years in the making. This airport is going to support our booming economy, promote tourism in this region and provide a new site for emergency responders.”
– Governor Andy Beshear (KY)
Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC) has been involved in the development of the new airport since the beginning, almost 30 years ago. The firm’s Aviation team serves as the airport planner and engineer for Gallatin County, providing design, planning and construction phase services for a variety of projects over the years, including environmental assessment of the 650-acre airport site, development of the airport layout plan, assistance with land acquisition and construction phase services for clearing of the site and construction of a one-mile access road from Interstate 71.
Gallatin County Regional Airport is expected to be a home base airport for over 20 aircraft and host approximately 13,000 takeoffs annually. The airport will be funded using revenue from jet fuel sales, hangar rental fees and fuel excise tax returns, among other federal, local and state project funds.
The airport is managed by the Gallatin County Regional Airport Board of Directors. Gallatin County Judge/Executive Ryan Morris currently serves as the airport manager handling day-to-day operations, like closure alerts to pilots and routine communications with the Federal Aviation Administration.
Project Timeline
- 1995 The Kentucky Division of Aeronautics (now known as the Kentucky Department of Aviation) began their effort to establish a new general aviation airport in Northern Kentucky
- 1995 – 2007 Six Kentucky counties undertook airport development studies that investigated over 20 potential development sites
- 2008 Gallatin County selected the “Park Ridge Road” site location; Five landowners, encompassing approximately 650 acres, agreed to sell their property for the new Gallatin County Regional Airport.
- 2015 Options to purchase the land were signed
- 2017 First acquisition
- 2020 – 2021 Mass grading of the airport site
- 2022 – 2023 Construction of the 5,000’ X 75’ concrete runway and parallel taxiway, access road and airport lighting
