StandardAero facility at Capital Airport to get more than $10 million in upgrades
A business aviation maintenance facility at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport will get a more than $10 million overhaul.
StandardAero announced this week that they would commit $10-12 million over the next two-and-a-half years to improve their business aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility and turn it into what vice president and general manager Dave Pearman says will be a "like-new" operation.
Currently, the Scottsdale-based company provides maintenance for business aircraft at the airport, which can range from simple scheduled maintenance to full painting and interior refurbishment of planes.
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The improvements include an overhaul to the hangar doors, replacing the doors inside the hangar, resurfacing of the hangar floors, new paint on the interior and exterior of the facilities, replacement of the flat roof, equipment upgrades in the paint facility, a new parking area, and road resurfacing outside the building.
The upgrades come in addition to a recently completed 2.88 megawatt solar project that provides all of the power to the facility, one of the largest facilities of its kind on airport ground in Illinois. Pearman said that the renovation work has already started.
"We have already started the repair and overhaul process for our hangar doors and we’re proceeding with the other phased improvements," Pearman said. "We are grateful to the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport for their support and once all of the upgrades are completed, we’ll essentially have a ‘like new’ operation.
Mark Hanna, executive director of the Springfield Airport Authority – which operates the airport – said that the improvements will enhance StandardAero's current operation and their potential for future growth.
"We are grateful for StandardAero’s continued commitment to the Springfield community," Hanna said. "We are very excited to share this opportunity with StandardAero to pursue these facilities improvements, which will of course enhance their operation upon completion, but will also provide prospects for future growth."
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U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-Ill.) of the 13th Congressional District also weighed in, in between scheduled votes for a new Speaker of the House. She said that the more than $10 million being invested in the new facility helps to provide future growth and keep the airport running strong.
"The Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport is an economic engine for our community that provides critical transportation options for our families," Budzinski said. "I’m thrilled that StandardAero will be investing more than $10 million to improve their Springfield facility and help pave the way for future growth."
Scheduled to be completed in three phases, the upgrades should be fully operational by the end of 2025.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: More than $10 million in upgrades planned for StandardAero
