Airport eyes crosswind runway

PANAMA CITY, Fla. – Officials at Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport in West Bay envision having a $17 million crosswind runway constructed by 2017. The board Wednesday accepted a $5.5 million grant from the Florida Department of Transportation. Airport Director Parker McClellan called the grant the first step towards getting funding line up. A crosswind runway is needed to provide better wind coverage for smaller aircraft. The airport’s current runway does not meet the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) wind coverage requirement for smaller general aviation aircraft. (Source: News Herald, 10/23/13)