Harvey County and Newton commissioners to discuss joint airport development

The Harvey County Board of Commissioners and the Newton City Commission are scheduled to hold a joint work session Thursday morning to discuss development at the Newton City-County Airport.

The 8:30 a.m. meeting, set to take place at the City of Newton Police Training Center, centers on ongoing infrastructure and expansion plans for the jointly owned aviation facility.

The airport has recently seen significant growth, bolstered by state and federal grants and a surge in private investment, most notably from the defense-technology company Shield AI.

The venture-backed manufacturer has been expanding its flight testing facilities at the airfield for its X-BAT autonomous fighter jet, which is scheduled to begin test flights before the end of the year.

The work session follows a series of recent infrastructure investments and commercial lease expansions at the industrial hub, which features a primary 7,000-foot concrete runway.

Earlier this year, local officials approved a $671,361 state grant to upgrade lighting and electrical systems on the airport's secondary crosswind runway, as well as land lease amendments to accommodate Shield AI's growing footprint.

With the drone manufacturer scaling up its operations — including a proposed 33,000-square-foot hangar on the airport's east side — the city and county boards will use Thursday's session to coordinate further strategic development and manage infrastructure demands at the regional facility.

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