BATESVILLE — Whether pilots or passengers, newcomers to Batesville now have an updated space in which to kick back and relax after landing at the city’s airport.
The Batesville Regional Airport, at 1126 Batesville Blvd., completed its year-long Terminal Renovation Project and held a ribbon cutting Aug. 15 in celebration of the facility’s updates.
The newly renovated space uses a blend of industrial, rustic and modern influences. Patterned accent chairs in blue-gray and brown pop against the olive-green carpet tiles, and an aluminum-top coffee table displays books on flying. A large artwork depicts an aircraft taking flight from a runway, and a number of wooden tables fill the waiting area.
“What we had here was a terminal that had been renovated in 1988; it had gotten pretty dated,” said Stephen Smart, airport commissioner. “And so we actually tore everything down to the studs, tore everything out and created a brand new space, added additional square footage to the facility and completely overhauled the whole facility to better meet our customers’ needs.”
Smart said that before the construction, the terminal served the airport well, but over time, it was in need of another renovation.
“The aesthetics are much more eye-pleasing,” Smart said. “The furniture is more comfortable. It’s just a much more aesthetically pleasing facility now.”
One of the other goals of the project included making sure the entire building is in compliance with Americans With Disabilities Act regulations.
“We’re continuously working to improve, upgrade and develop the airport to meet its current and future needs,” he said. “We continue to build hangars, develop the land and pour additional pavement to handle the increasing aircraft traffic that our airport sees on a daily basis.”
The construction helps create the first impression for those who land in Batesville, Smart said.
“The airport, the Batesville Regional Airport, is the gateway to our community,” Mayor Rick Elumbaugh said. “There are so many things that happen right here.”
The construction project added 300 square feet to the building, bringing the total square footage to 3,620. The project also moved the placement of the conference room, created two new entrances and added a lounge that faces the structure’s back windows, which are nearly floor to ceiling and provide an abundance of natural light for the waiting area.
“Sometimes, especially with aircraft, due to weather or due to delays, you may sit in here for a while — especially the pilots, they may sit in here all day long — so we want to give them a comfortable place to sit,” Smart said.
Smart said he hopes the new facility will better serve both passengers and pilots who come through the area.
“We hope that it attracts new businesses as they come into the airport,” he said. “When they land here, a lot of times, it is the first facility they see when they land in Batesville, Arkansas, so we want them to be impressed, not only with the facility here but with our whole town.”
Smart, who is also a pilot, said the vibe of a facility can affect a pilot’s relationship with it.
“If a pilot enjoys it or gets treated well or they like the facility, they may tend to land here to buy more fuel, use more of our services, use the maintenance on the field,” he said. “A comfortable space for them may encourage them to do more business with us.”
The airport’s conference room has always been open to the public, but because of its prior placement, people weren’t as familiar with the room, Smart said.
“If someone wants to come in and utilize our conference room now, they can reserve it,” he said.
There are no immediate plans for future renovations to the airport.
“We’ve got several pavement projects going on. We’re building some new taxiways and things such as that,” Smart said. “And then the hangar that [Doyle Rogers Jr.] donated to us — at some point, we hope to renovate that and upgrade that as well. We don’t have any immediate plans for that.”
Smart said he hopes the public will also utilize the availabilities included in the renovation.
“We hope they take away that their tax dollars are being spent well. They now have a nice facility they can utilize not only for the flying community, but the general public if they need to hold anything,” he said.
Staff writer Syd Hayman can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or shayman@arkansasonline.com.