Fort Scott Biz

Fort Scott Airport Gets Improvements Inside and Out

Submitted photo of the Fort Scott Airport runway maintenance was completed in November.

Emery Sapp & Sons, a Kansas City, Missouri  full-service heavy civil
contractor recently completed the Fort Scott Municipal Airport runway and taxiway improvements for the City of Fort Scott.

“This maintenance needs to be done every so many years,” said Fort Scott Airport Manager Seth Simpson. “I am very happy with Emery Sapp. They are easy to work with. I can’t praise their services enough.”

Seth Simpson, Fort Scott City Airport Manager, started duties in  Dec. 2018.

The pavement was completed ahead of schedule just before the Kansas hunting season brought increased air travel to the area, according to a press release from Sapp.

Construction began Sept. 11 and was completed 16 days later, requiring minimal airport closure.

The company used stringless paving technology to decrease the project schedule and optimize the budget for the city.  The stringless paver follows fixed points to control elevation and steer the paving, resulting in an improved runway and taxiway, according to the press release

Runway health longevity, construction schedule optimization, and decreased travel impact were vital to the City of Fort Scott, according to the press release. The publicly owned airport is the base of 18 aircraft, averaging 27 daily operations.

A sky crane stops over in Fort Scott on Dec. 18, on its way to Kansas City, from the airport’s Facebook page.

Other Projects

Simpson said the expansion of the runway is on hold.

“It’s a complicated project,” Simpson said. “You can’t get the funding because you don’t have the traffic. You can’t get the traffic because the runways are not long enough. That’s why it is so difficult. There is a lot more red tape.”

Simpson said one project the staff have been working on is remodeling the interior of the terminal, “To update to more current standards.”

The staff is comprised of Simpson and Bryan Matkin, who is the assistant manager.

Fort Scott Airport Assistant Manager Brian Matkin helps remodel a conference room at the airport. From its Facebook page.

“We have a pilots lounge where they can come in and rest and have a bite to eat or watch TV,” he said. “We are trying to find ways to make it more attractive.”

In September 2024, Simpson is organizing a fly-in at the airport.

“It’s a one-day event where a pilot can fly in for some food,” he said. “I am looking for some food trucks to come in.”

Contact Simpson at 620-223-5490 for more information.

 

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