Tight times? Local governments are investing at least 5.2 million taxpayer dollars in — guess what — airports! And not one local airport, but two!

It may sound curious, but we are confident in the potential for continued and long-range benefits.

At Mound, La., the managers of Vicksburg Tallulah Regional have authorized the start of construction of a parallel taxiway to facilitate later installation of an instrument landing system. Funded with about $4 million in federal grants and dollars from Louisiana and Mississippi sources, the improvements are the largest expansion of services since VTR opened to air traffic in 1993.

VTR’s debut initiated a painful period of legal challenges and behind-the-scenes political wrangling over the fate of Vicksburg Municipal, for which VTR was to be the replacement facility. In the end, Vicksburg officials agreed with local business and industrial leaders that the 1950 airport off U.S. 61 South should be retained. A $650,000 state grant was obtained to spruce it up and a management board was named. In December, the airport was again deemed eligible for federal dollars and at least $1.2 million will be spent on building a new terminal structure that will double as a fire station to serve both air operations and southern portions of the City of Vicksburg.

VTR’s regional concept, with four local governments as owners and 90 percent federal funding, was conceived as a truly inexpensive way to kindle more commercial development and attract jobs. To a degree, that has worked. A smattering of businesses border the newer airport across the river. But supporting existing industries that rely on Vicksburg Municipal has proved to be a good deal, too.

The costs of fuel and insurance have pretty much killed aviation as a hobby, but airport-centered commercial economic activity is far from being a lost cause.

These investments — as strange as it still may seem for an area this compact to have two airports — have paid dividends, and those dividends may increase with the new investments.

It has been a decades-long bumpy ride for both facilities. May calm skies — and growth — be in their future.