DAYTON — Dayton International Airport’s management wants to use $7.1 million of federal money to demolish an idle concourse and create more space for overnight parking of airliners.

The approximately $7.5 million project would involve razing the airport’s Concourse D, which has been idle since the early 1990s and was once the home of a Piedmont Airlines hub.

The goal is to increase ramp space for parking planes that airlines use for morning departures.

It would be another big project at the airport.

Already planned for 2012 are $9.5 million in capital improvement projects including renovating and expanding restrooms, improving signage inside and outside the airport’s terminal building, and finishing carpet replacement and roof repairs at the terminal.

Funding for the Concourse D demolition project would include $4.4 million in discretionary money from the Federal Aviation Administration that would supplement $2.7 million in regular yearly FAA funding to the airport. The city would add $375,000 out of the airport’s capital reserve funds, said Terrence G. Slaybaugh, Dayton’s director of aviation.

Concourse D isn’t needed, Slaybaugh said. The airport’s two active concourses have room to handle expanded air service, and renovating Concourse D to bring it into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act would require extensive renovation and installation of escalators, he said.

Having more ramp space for parking aircraft helps airports’ current and future operations, Slaybaugh said. Demolishing Concourse D would also eliminate the cost of maintaining a facility that is idle, he said.

Dayton airport officials have made their pitch to the FAA. Availability of the FAA’s discretionary funding is subject to congressional appropriations and competition from other airports seeking help for their projects.

The FAA works with airport staffs to evaluate such requests in light of the airport’s needs in serving its market, agency spokeswoman Elizabeth Cory said Tuesday. She would not comment on Dayton’s chances.

If the additional FAA money isn’t available, the airport could start the project later or do it in stages over time, Slaybaugh said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2242 or jnolan@DaytonDailyNews.com.