MIDDLESBORO - The Middlesboro Airport is getting some help from the city on making their runway safer for planes landing and taking off from the airport.

In the most recent Middlesboro city council meeting, the council voted to approve the extension of the airport boundary fence.

John Brown, Middlesboro/Bell County Airport Board Attorney, stated Thursday that the measure was a safety preparation for the airport.

One of the airport's runways measures about 3600 feet, with grass on each end. On the side near 30th street, there is the fence, accompanied with a ditch on the opposite side. The ditch is located on city property.

Brown said the Federal Aviation Administration recently recommend the airport ask for assistance from the city in obtaining control of the ditch. They felt having the ditch near the runway wasn't a good idea.

“If a plane comes in and was to overshoot the runway, they would crash through that fence and then hit the ditch,” explained Brown. “The sudden stop would probably kill someone. What we are planning to is to put a covert in, fill in that ditch and move the fence about 15 feet.”

Brown said it was the Federal government who recommended the removal of the ditch. He added in order for the airport to fill in the ditch, they had to have control over it.

“The city is allowing the airport to extend the fence for safety and that is gracious of them to do that,” he said. “We are not extending the runway, just taking preventive measures to make it safer.”

Brown added the airport hasn't had any problems with planes in the past and hopes they never do.