West Star Aviation broke ground on Thursday for a 75,700-sq-ft expansion of its MRO facility in East Alton, Illinois. Once complete, the project will increase the facility’s area to more than 500,000 sq ft. The expansion will include 40,000 sq ft of new hangar capacity, 22,300 sq ft of additional back shop space, and add 13,400 sq ft of storage space.
West Star is working with Contegra Construction and the St. Louis Regional Airport on site preparation and building plans. The company expects to complete the project in the second quarter next year.
“This expansion along with the new hangar in Chattanooga, Tennessee, scheduled to open for business at the end of this month, shows our continued commitment to implementing sustainable growth that benefits our customers, employees, and the surrounding communities,” said West Star Aviation CEO Jim Rankin.
According to West Star Aviation East Alton general manager Brian Bauwens, “The recent rapid growth in the MRO industry has accelerated the need to add additional space to our facilities, allowing us to better serve our valued customers in a timely manner.”
Contegra Construction project director Jared Lengermann noted that this is the third hanger project his company has partnered on with West Star in the past 10 years.
