Nov. 16—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — With plans in place to start an aviation maintenance training school at John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport in 2024, the airport's fixed-base operator wants to attract a company that could put those graduates to work on site.

Larry Nulton, founder of Nulton Aviation Services, said Cambrian Hills Development LLC has hired a Florida marketing firm to help find an aircraft maintenance, repair and operations business that could set up shop inside a planned "shell hangar" in the airport's Keystone Opportunity Zone.

That hangar project, which was awarded $1.5 million in state funds earlier this month, was developed with workforce development in mind. The Johnstown region — and its airport — could become part of the answer to the airline industry's challenge in finding people who are trained to work on large aircraft, Nulton said after the airport authority's meeting Tuesday.

"This would enable students to learn the trade ... and get right to work," he said, noting that would add good-paying jobs.

Nulton said the group is thinking big when it comes to potential tenants — particularly as airport officials are working to attract a national "ultra-low-cost carrier" to provide commercial flights to southern vacation destinations.

The shell hangar could allow companies to maintain and repair the Airbus commercial jets that companies such as Allegiant Air, Spirit Airlines and Breeze Airways use, Nulton said.

"We already have a pilot school established (to help address) the pilot shortage. The maintenance school is the next step," Nulton said. "We want to focus on being part of the solution to the industry's challenges."

By matching training schools and local companies to put grads to work, "we can build our own minor league of jobs" in the airline industry, said Cambria County President Commissioner Thomas Chernisky, who attended the meeting.

"It's one more piece to the puzzle here," he added.

Nulton said Orlando-based firm Curley and Pynn will focus on marketing the property alongside an aviation real estate firm that was previously hired.

The airport already has a state-approved Keystone Opportunity Zone designation that can make the hangar property more enticing through multi-year tax incentives.

Airport officials previously estimated that the shell hangar project could cost more than $4 million. Nulton said the effort is still in the early stages, but he's optimistic. A vital connector road through the property is already moving toward development.

Through a committee, airport officials are separately pursuing ultra-low-cost carriers.

Because airport authorities are prohibited from spending their own money to subsidize "low-cost carrier" flights, authority officials hired Harrisburg lobbying firm the KSA Group earlier this fall to find ways to bring the effort to fruition.

Airport Manager Cory Cree said the group met with state Sen. Wayne Langerholc Jr., R-Richland Township, on Nov. 2 to tour the airfield and discuss potential funding streams that could help land a carrier.

Another agency, the ArkStar Group, was hired at $5,000 per month to approach carriers such as Spirit, Breeze, Allegiant and Frontier Airlines — among others — about the possibility of bringing flights to Johnstown.

Cree said authority officials have met with three different carriers and are following up by providing additional information for them to analyze. He declined to identify any of the carriers, adding that the industry is "competitive" when it comes to long-term planning and future route expansion.

Cree said earlier this month that he's hopeful the Johnstown region can add a carrier — but it won't happen quickly, given the planning it involves and the airport industry's challenges. Many airlines are cutting routes rather than adding them, due to pilot shortages, he added.

But it's an opportunity worth pursuing, particularly since so many Cambria County residents have asked for it, Cree said.

"Airports that attract ultra-low-cost carriers see an economic impact," he said earlier this month. "It benefits hotels, gas stations, restaurants and retail. It brings people to the area."

Through the Department of Economic Development, Pennsylvania airports have new opportunities to designate undeveloped property as job-creating "Land Development Zones." Johnstown's airport authority is exploring the program, Cree said Tuesday, but it's too early to say if the idea fits Johnstown's airport.

As announced this month, up to 300 acres of qualified airport land can be designated as an Airport Land Development Zone with 2,100 tax credits possible "per net new job created."

Much of the airport's land is already locked into the Keystone Opportunity Zone — but smaller segments, such as smaller vacant hangars, may make sense for the new designation, he added.