Last year, A Pilatus PC12 stopped by the Lt. Warren E. Eaton Airport. This year, a request to the United States Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for Runway-19 Rejuvenator-project was submitted and just last week the Chenango County Department of Planning and Airport administrative team received their Eligibility Determination Letter. They look to start repairs in Spring/Summer 2026. (Submitted photo)

NORWICH — Tackling the upkeep and continual repairs to Lt. Warren E. Eaton/Chenango County Airport located at 6390 State Highway 12 in Norwich, is a top concern and challenge for the Chenango County Department of Planning and Airport administrative team.

Director of Planning and Airport Administrator Shane Butler said they submitted a request to the United States Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for Runway-19 Rejuvenator-project and just last week received their Eligibility Determination Letter.

“We had a meeting with our Airport Engineers, C&S Companies, yesterday to go over the timeline,” said Butler. “Now that the project has been deemed eligible by the FAA, we have to submit a grant application to the FAA asking for the funding.”

From there, Butler said it’s up in the air as to when the project can start since it relies on when the award is received and how quickly the funding can be appropriated by the Board of Supervisors.

Butler said the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant request is in the amount of $477,000 and the project will most likely start in the Spring/Summer of 2026 and will enter into an agreement with C&S Engineers, Inc. of Syracuse, New York for Runway 1-19 Crack Repair, Rejuvenation and Re-striping Project.