Aero-Flite Inc. is expanding operations at Spokane International Airport, where the aerial firefighting company is planning a 30,000-square-foot maintenance hangar to meet the needs of its growing fleet, says general manager Chris Niemann.
The company has filed a pre-development conference application with the city of Spokane to review the preliminary plans for the structure, which is valued at $8.7 million.
Aero-Flite currently is based in 33,000 square feet of hangar space that includes a 6,000-square-foot attached tent at 8520 W. Electric, in West Spokane. The new hangar will be constructed adjacent to the existing facility, says Niemann.
“The tent isn’t heated or cooled, so it’s not temperature controlled,” Niemann explains, adding, “We can really only get three to four airplanes in the hangar at any given time. As we’ve tried to add aircraft, it impacts our ability to do winter maintenance.”
As planned, Aero-Flite will have about 70,000 square feet of hangar space by next September, just in time to perform routine winter maintenance for the entire fleet, which will grow to 14 from 12 aircraft, Niemann says.
Read more on this story at the Spokane Journal
