SPOKANE, WASHINGTON (December 13, 2024) – Aero-Flite Inc. is pleased to announce the completion of a second hangar in Spokane, Washington, enabling the company to meet the significantly increased demand for the Dash 8-400 airtanker. The new hangar is adjacent to AeroFlite’s current facility and adds 36,800 sq ft to the company’s existing footprint.
“Aero-Flite is growing and the customer response to the new Dash 8-400 airtanker has been so strong it is challenging to keep up with wildfire agency requests. In response, we are growing our fleet, expecting two new airtankers next year with production slots for new airtankers booked through 2026. This growth will allow us to continue creating new career pathway jobs, doing meaningful work, at a living wage in the Spokane area and the State of Washington. It also means we need more space to complete our heavy winter maintenance. Our current facility is around 33,000 sq ft, so this addition more than doubles our operational maintenance space,” shares Chris Niemann, General Manager at Aero-Flite.
The new space ensures the Aero-Flite team can efficiently perform the required maintenance on its fleet of large airtankers and multi-engine water scoopers, working on multiple aircraft at once. Maintenance is performed faster, with less time wasted repositioning aircraft due to space limitations. The hangar also provides an expanded capability to shelter aircraft from inclement weather.
“The additional space means we can operate more effectively, and results in our ability to respond to federal and state needs for longer periods during the year. We are finding that fire seasons are becoming fire years, requiring the ability for Aero-Flite to respond year-round, not just during the expected summer months,” shares Niemann. “We experienced this in February when Texas and Oklahoma required one of our earliest-ever callouts to respond to the Smokehouse Creek Fire. We were able to send five large aircraft to them within days of the request. This season has also been slow to wind down. Most of our fleet operated until mid-October, with many aircraft called back into service to support firefighters in Utah and Wyoming. California had two aircraft on contract until November, and one of our RJ85s just finished in Texas. This week an RJ85 was called out to respond to the Franklin Fire in Malibu, California.”
Aero-Flite operates the largest privately owned fleet of large airtankers and scoopers in the country. “This isn’t the end of our growth,” Niemann concludes. “The nation needs modern, versatile airtankers to replace older airtankers as they retire due to high flight cycles, low parts supply, and increased maintenance costs. The Dash 8-400AT is the newest airtanker in the world today. It is a cost-effective platform that will be in operation for decades. We plan to grow our fleet around these aircraft, and that growth will require additional space in the future.”
