MRO provider West Star Aviation officially opened the newest hangar at its East Alton, Illinois facility with a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday.
Construction on the $20 million Hangar 67 development began in June 2023. It adds 75,700 sq ft to the company’s operations at St. Louis Regional Airport (KALN) facility, including 40,000 sq ft of dedicated hangar space and 35,700 sq ft of support space. Among its enhancements, it will feature a new design center.
The expansion increases West Star’s hangar and shop space at KALN to 425,000 sq ft, plus 125,000 sq ft of support space, and is expected to add up to 80 new jobs. In conjunction with West Star’s hangar expansion, the St. Louis Regional Airport also completed a 56,000-sq-ft apron expansion.
East Alton is one of the company’s six full-service locations in the U.S., along with Grand Junction, Colorado; Chattanooga, Tennessee; Millville, New Jersey; Perryville, Missouri; and Statesville, North Carolina. Including its six satellite locations, West Star has 1.5 million sq ft of hangar space system-wide.
“The completion of Hangar 67 represents another significant moment in West Star Aviation’s vision for the future,” said company CEO Stephen Maiden. “This new facility not only enhances our service capabilities but also exemplifies our ongoing commitment to growth and innovation to ensure we are prepared to meet the needs of our valued customers.”