The Barkly Regional Airport opened its new $43 million terminal in early July.

You heard Casey allude to that just a moment ago.

The new terminal replaces the one that was almost 70 years old and gives the airport significant upgrades.

Our Casey Parker Bell went to McCracken County last week to check out the airport's new digs and to get a sense of what it really means for the community.

This new terminal is a better representation of western Kentucky.

When you arrive your home.

Paducah has a brand new airport terminal replacing the one that had served the community for 67 years.

It's pretty sweet.

They have a drive from here 10 minutes to the airport park, 100 feet from the gate, walk in and in 15 minutes you're through security and ready to get on the plane.

The old Barclay Regional Airport terminal lacked basic necessities.

The airport's executive director says the new terminal completely changes what people see when they arrive in Paducah.

This new terminal is fresh and new and it was about time.

The old terminal, you know, didn't have sprinkler systems.

We had asbestos and it resembled more of an old time bus station rather than an airport terminal.

The new terminal has the appeal of a modern airport.

Art produced by locals adorns the walls.

New seating now has charging stations readily available.

TSA has the latest security upgrades.

There's even a bathroom for pets.

And for the first time, Barkly Regional has a SkyBridge allowing passengers to stay out of the elements.

90% of the money was through the Federal government.

We wouldn't have been able to approach anything like that without federal government help.

State jumped in, helped a good deal.

We raised some money all on our own.

So it's really a community community effort.

Federal, state and local.

The $43 million terminal opened in early July and spans over 25,000 square feet.

About 5 million of the cost came from the state and more than another 5 million came from local governments.

Our effort was to bring the community together, whether it be the chamber, the city, the county business leaders, people in this community that make a difference.

We had to we had to rally all that support.

The airport is named after Alvin Barkley, the former vice president from western Kentucky.

It has one airline contour that flies to and from Charlotte.

The Charlotte Airport is one of the dozen largest hubs in the United States.

Now, with the new terminal, local leaders believe more flights are possible and that economic development possibilities are clear.

We're very interested in attracting new industry to Paducah, and we believe that any new industry is going to require a local airport to get in and out of, whether it be by private access or commercial.

And this new terminal really checks all the boxes for us.

It's a big plus for the community, not just for people individually traveling, but companies that come here, obviously, where we try to locate bring other economic development into the community and prospects come at that airport.

And it's a it's a good first look at what our community has to offer.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm K.C.

Parker, Belle.

The airport's executive director and Paducah mayor, say they're working to get a low cost airline to fly from Barclay Regional and to give western Kentucky residents a new choice of destination.