When Craig Ruedy graduated from Minnesota State University’s aviation program in 1988, he had between 1,000 and 1,500 hours of flight time coming before he could land a commercial pilot’s wings.

That meant long hours on aerial oil pipeline patrol, or maybe taking photos from the air and selling them.

But future graduates might not have to look forward to that sort of drudgery, thanks to a new partnership announced Thursday between MSU and Mesaba Airlines during the dedication of a runway expansion at the Mankato Regional Airport.

It guarantees students who complete 10 specified courses an interview — but not necessarily a job — with Mesaba. All they need is 250 hours in the air.

Ruedy, chair of the aviation department, said students can reasonably amass 250 hours while still in school.

“To have an interview at 250 hours is a big deal,” said Mikhail Wojcik, a senior aviation student who joked that he recently “put some skid marks” on the revamped runway.

Aviation students already do all of their flight training at the Mankato airport.

Mesaba, a regional carrier owned by Northwest Airlines, has nearly doubled its fleet, operations director Joseph Restifo said, and is looking to hire more pilots.

He said he’s not concerned that hiring less experienced pilots will be a safety issue because the training requirements are still set by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The airline was hoping to show off one of its new CRJ-900 jets, which seats 90 or so, but concerns about ice kept it from making an appearance.

While the announcement pleased college and company officials, the dedication was all about what the $12 million, 1,200-foot extension — to 6,600 feet — will do for existing customers and the possibility of charter service.

Restifo said Mesaba wasn’t there to discuss scheduled passenger, also known as “charter,” service.

But airport managers are hoping that the expansion will lure charter service back to Mankato.

Wayne Anderson, who helps manage the airport for North Star Aviation, flies corporate jets and said the extra 1,200 feet allows pilots to take off with more fuel. It also gives them more leeway, especially on winter days like Mankato has been seeing recently.

Just about any passenger plane with a single aisle — as large as the 243-passenger Boeing 757 — can now land here. The two-aisle “wide-body” jets can’t, though.