FOLEY, Ala. (WKRG)– The Foley City Council approved a $1.2 million expansion to the Foley Municipal Airport.

Planes are just sitting on the tarmac, and that’s what you may see when driving down Airport Drive in Foley. That’s because there is currently no more room for them in the hangars. The $1.2 million project will add an 8-unit hangar as well as a brand new taxiway.

City of Foley Mayor Ralph Hellmich said the funding could take a while.

“We have also applied for a three-year, FAA grant that will help us upgrade our hangar facilities and add a taxiway that will go to the new hangars,” Hellmich said.

Baldwin County continues to increase in population meaning more people and more planes and the project consists of the building of an 8-unit hangar.

“We have a waiting list, of pilots that need hangar space. some of them are at the airport right now, others are waiting for somebody to move out, so what we are hoping to do, is get more of our airplanes that are sitting outside into hangar space and this grant will allow us to do it,” Hellmich said.

Foley Municipal Airport was built back in 1972 and really has not been updated since. Hellmich said when they have the opportunity, the city tries to continue upgrading and modernizing facilities around the city including the airport.

“We also have plans for upgrading the terminal we are hoping that a grant comes through for that, like what Fairhope got last year, we are hoping this year we will be able to go for a terminal grant,” Hellmich said.

Construction on the new hangars and taxiway is scheduled to begin later this year and is estimated to be complete hopefully by this time next year.