Proposed changes to upgrade operations at Greenville Municipal Airport in Greene Township include extending the runway and adding more hangar space for storage.

Consultants from McFarland-Johnson Inc., Hallstead, Pa., and RBS Consultants Inc., Coraopolis, recently completed an update of the airport’s master plan, which is required by the Federal Aviation Administration every five to 10 years.

The consultants held a public meeting Wednesday at the airport to describe the updated plan, which covers a 20-year period.

The plan must be approved by the borough of Greenville, which oversees the airport, and the Pennsylvania Bureau of Aviation, said Chad G. Nixon, aviation director for McFarland-Johnson.

Changes to the plan are only suggestions, so not all of them have to be carried out, he said.

The most significant recommendation is to extend the runway from 2,703 to 3,210 feet in a few years to accommodate larger planes that are becoming more common at smaller airports like the Greene Township one, Nixon said.

The cost is estimated at $566,500 and would be funded by federal and state money. None of the cost will fall on local taxpayers because 95 percent of airport projects are funded by fees from people who use the facilities, he said.

Hangar space should be increased from 4,160 to 11,120 square feet, and the area where planes park should also be expanded.

“It’s very cramped here. It needs to double in size,” Nixon said.

The consultants suggest that the airport acquire some more property or right-of-way permission from neighboring land owners to ensure there’s enough space for a longer runway and a bigger hangar.

However, that doesn’t mean tearing down someone’s home or constructing buildings on the neighboring properties, and airport representatives have been in contact with those people, Nixon said.

The consultants also suggest the airport install its own weather reporting system, a $252,000 project. There currently isn’t any equipment to tell pilots what the weather is in the airport area, Nixon said.

Zelik Ratchkauskas, president of RBS, said the suggested upgrades will attract more aviation traffic and the airport is an area that needs economic development. Businesses looking for a new location always ask if there’s an airport nearby.

“This project will give some boost to the local economy,” he said.