NATCHEZ — The Mississippi Transportation Commission, through the Mississippi Department of Transportation, approved the awarding of $30 million in grants to regional and municipal airports, ports, and railroads in Mississippi.

Natchez-Adams County Airport’s Hardy Anders Field is receiving $797,392 to construct a 10-unit hangar.

Richard Nelson, airport director, said the grant funding will help meet a serious need at the airport, where hangar space is limited. Nelson updated the Adams County Board of Supervisors Monday about work at the airport. He told the supervisors that the airport commission plans to provide any matching funds needed for the hangar grant

“The construction the airport is doing right now on taxiway lights should be complete before May 10,” Nelson said. “That will finish the FAA construction projects that we have at the time, except for the one that is ongoing on the runway project.”

He said the airport “just went through a surveillance inspection and according to the FAA inspector, we will have a letter in writing before the 18th of this month, saying that they are clearing us of all LOIs or letters of investigations on the airport, which pretty much eliminates all of the concerns the FAA had.

Nelson thanks Supervisors Ricky Gray and Angela Hutchins for the work they did on a recent trip to Washington, D.C., to help secure grant funds for the airport.

“The airport is getting busier and busier and we are moving forward,” he said.

Supervisor Angela Hutchins inquired about whether any progress has been made toward securing commercial air service for the county airport.

Nelson said he will be in St. George, Utah, meeting with representatives of Sky West Airlines, which is a potential commercial air service provider for the Natchez-Adams County Airport.

“The new airline consultant has completely changed directions. I am still in touch with Southern Airways. Sky West is trying to partner with United to do flights from here to Houston instead of Dallas. The reason why Houston is a possible fit is because they have a smaller jet service than Dallas does at the moment. So, it is still moving in the right direction. We are going to push that through,” Nelson said.