Marion airport
to offer fuel again
Staff writer
A state grant has been a windfall to Marion’s airport in more ways than one.
The airport’s fueling system had to be shut down May 6, 2024, because of leaks that could not be repaired, airport board member and spokesman Kenneth “Buck” Hoyt said. Technicians told airport board members that parts were no longer available for the 50-year-old equipment.
A fuel hose leaked, spraying out fuel where it joined a filter beneath the spout. Fuel also was spraying inside the pump cabinet.
Hoyt had been looking on online auction sites and sales to try to find some kind of a temporary fuel set-up.
Lack of fuel has caused two hangars to sit empty because pilots did not want to rent a hanger for $125 a month if fuel wasn’t available.
“We had a guy interested in a hangar last spring, and he said, ‘I’m not going to bring my plane over if I can’t get fuel,’” Hoyt said. “We’ve been losing $250 a month because we can’t get fuel.”
A third hangar could soon be empty as well because its renter is thinking about selling his plane.
The airport was chosen by Kansas Department of Transportation to receive $138,330 to replace the fuel system in 2026.
The award was part of $14.5 million given to 47 aviation projects across the state through a program that funds planning, construction, and rehabilitation of public airports.
The city owns the airport’s fuel system. It bought fuel pumps, tanks, and fuel containment equipment five years ago for $5,000 after Cardie Oil, which formerly serviced the pumps, reorganized.