Vero Beach Regional Airport ranked No. 1 general aviation airport in the state by FDOT
VERO BEACH — Vero Beach Regional Airport is the No. 1 general aviation airport in the state, according to Florida Department of Transportation.
Last week, Vero Beach's airport was recognized by FDOT as Florida's general aviation airport of the year during a Florida Airports Council conference in Orlando. The winner is selected based on safety, aesthetics and airport management.
"It just really validates the fact that we take a lot of pride in the airport and that we're on a good path as far as moving forward," said airport director Todd Scher. "It recognizes the progress that we've made in airport safety and aesthetics."
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In March, the airport completed an $8.5 million runway rehabilitation project, which included runway resurfacing and replacing lights and signs. It was mostly funded by the Federal Aviation Administration and FDOT.
Vero Beach Regional Airport was selected out of over 100 general aviation airports across the state. This isn't the first time it's been recognized as the best in Florida — FDOT last selected it as general aviation airport of the year in 2004, according to aviation communications manager Michael McDougall.
General aviation airports differ from larger, commercial airports due to their limited commercial airline service. Instead, they typically serve charter, private and training flights.
Vero Beach's airport offers some commercial airline service through Elite Airways, which provides select passenger flights to the northeast. Elite Airways' service resumed this year after a seven-month hiatus while the airport worked on its runway rehabilitation.
Through revenue from the business it operates, the airport is mostly self-sufficient, generating and spending about $3 million a year. The COVID-19 pandemic did take a toll on some of its operations, though, Scher said, as flights trainings and classes were put on hold around the country.
Still, the airport has a significant impact on the local economy. About 5,500 people are employed on Vero Beach Regional Airport's property, and it has an economic impact of about $1.3 billion, according to FDOT.
"We're just trying to do our best each and every day to make the airport safe and serve the community," Scher said.
Thomas Weber is TCPalm's Indian River County government watchdog reporter. You can reach him at thomas.weber@tcpalm.com or 813-545-9113. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: FDOT ranks Vero Beach Regional Airport No. 1 in the state this year
