We know that some residents will be cheered by this and probably wish that the airport would just go away completely; we sympathize with those who are bothered by the noise.

However, having an updated, functional airport here in Covington is absolutely essential for the future growth of Covington and Newton County.

When major, multi-million-dollar corporations look to relocate into a particular community, one of their concerns is the ability to move their executives in and out of a plant in quick order.

Communities that do not have an active airport are always at the bottom of the list when these decisions are made.

We applaud the city for taking advantage of the federal money available to upgrade our airport. And, even though the closing is an inconvenience, it will more than prove to be the right decision in the long run.