Airports
New airport to open in Florida next month
Northwest Florida Beaches Airport (KECP; see photo on page 1) near Panama City, Fla., is set to open on May 23, marking the first new greenfield airport to

Northwest Florida Beaches Airport (KECP; see photo on page 1) near Panama City, Fla., is set to open on May 23, marking the first new greenfield airport to be built in the post-9/11 era. Notably, the new 4,000-acre airport is part of the St. Joe Company’s “master planned” 75,000-acre greenfield parcel that guarantees no residential development will be built near the airfield itself or within the flight paths.

While it will open with just 10,000-foot Runway 16/34, the airport has an 8,400-foot parallel runway (16R/34L) and 5,000-foot crosswind Runway 3/21 in the near- term plans. The eventual 16L/34R can also be extended to up to 14,000 feet, including 1,500 feet of overruns.