Story ID: 
Chicago-area Airport Adding Another Hangar
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: The 47,000-sq-ft structure will be home to aircraft fleet operator Wingtip Aviation
Word Count: 227
Gary/Chicago International Airport (KGYY) broke ground this week on a $12 million, 47,000-sq-ft aviation hangar that it will own and operate. Slated for completion in May 2025, the hangar will house aircraft charter/management provider Wingtip Aviation, which signed a 20-year lease with the Gary/Chicago International Airport Authority and will consolidate its operations at KGYY.
The construction cost will be partially funded by a $1.3 million grant through Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb’s Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative program.
“[KGYY] has seen extensive growth and investment over the years, and this new hangar is further evidence of the airport’s incredible promise as an economic engine for the city of Gary and our region,” said Gary, Indiana mayor Eddie Melton. “Investments such as this new hangar create jobs and critical economic investment to the region, helping provide a strong foundation for future economic development.”
Predominantly a general aviation airport, KGYY is home to two FBOs and—at nearly 9,000 feet—has one of the longest runways in the region outside of Chicago O’Hare International Airport (KORD). The airport’s U.S. Customs facility recently celebrated a milestone, welcoming its 500th international arrival since its opening in late 2018, and has handled more than 100 arrivals over the past year as KGYY’s pace of international operations grows.