Story ID: 
Texas Airport Embarks on Upgrade Project
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: University-owned Easterwood Field Airport will receive a new FBO and hangar as part of a $10 million infrastructure improvement
Word Count: 202
Texas A&M University has broken ground on an FBO complex at the school-owned Easterwood Field Airport (CLL) in College Station. While the Brazos Valley facility has not received much attention in decades, an ambitious $10.5 million project aims to transform it into a state-of-the-art regional airport. A new private aviation facility accounts for $6.5 million of that investment. 

Its project features a 8,500-sq-ft executive terminal with dedicated crew lounge, multiple conference rooms, office space, a catering kitchen and staff training areas. Also in the works is a new 40,000-sq-ft hangar, bringing total storage space to 75,000 sq ft. The new building will accommodate the latest large-cabin business aircraft when it is completed in early 2018. Managed by Astin Aviation, the FBO is the lone provider on the field, which sees approximately 120 operations a day.

“The planned improvements will give the terminal a more modern front door to the A&M community,” said university system chancellor John Sharp at last week's ground breaking ceremony. “We can expect a genuinely better experience for corporate, private and military customers at the new facility, but let’s also not forget that the improvements will bring more revenue to the system-owned airport.”