Plans for a longer runway, expanded parking facilities and a renovated terminal at University Park Airport were, in part, sparked by service expansion plans of United Express.

United Express, which has provided flight service in State College for about one year, announced that beginning April 1, it will use larger capacity airplanes and increase airport service by adding more daily flights.

"After analyzing the State College area and finding that business has increased dramatically, we felt that changes would place the success of our service in a more positive light," said Watson Whiteside, vice-president of public affairs for Air Wisconsin, which operates United Express.

According to Whiteside, the 36 passenger Shorts 360 aircrafts, which United Express uses on its daily flights from State College to Washington Dulles International in Washington, D.C., will be replaced by pressurized 50 passenger Fokker F-27 planes.

In addition, the airline will add a fourth round trip flight to provide better connecting flight opportunities at Dulles International. However, service will no longer be non-stop.