City Leases 22-Acre Airport Runway Safety Area

PHILADELPHIA-The city has struck a leasing transaction with Tinicum Township in Delaware County for 21.8 acres that will provide a runway safety area at Philadelphia International Airport, a portion of which extends from Philadelphia County into the township. The lease agreement is for 10 years at $85,000 a year with an option to renew for an additional 10 years.

The land is located between the airport’s runway 9R and the Delaware River. The city owns the airport, and funding for the lease will come from the airport’s aviation fund, not the city’s general fund.

Federal Aviation Administration regulations require airports to provide a cleared and graded safety area for each runway and taxiway in order to reduce personal injury and aircraft damage if a plane overshoots the runway. Citing recent such incidents at other airports, Charles J. Isdell, the city’s director of aviation, says, “the extension of the runway safety area will help us to avoid that type of incident in Philadelphia.”