This big federal grant could lead to more permanent aviation jobs at Bellingham’s airport
The Bellingham International Airport is getting $8.8 million through a federal grant that could lead to dozens of permanent aviation jobs.
The grant for Bellingham is coming through the Federal Aviation Administration Airport Improvement Program. The funding was something pushed for by much of Washington state’s congressional delegation, said Sunil Harman, the Port of Bellingham’s aviation director.
Along with projects geared toward safety improvements, including runway work and efficient lighting, some of the funding is being devoted to an economic development project. The focus is to build a taxiway that will connect and help redevelop the former Bellingham Air National Guard property through a public-private partnership with Alpha Distributors Inc.
When the taxiway is in place later this year, construction will begin on the Alpha Air Park, starting with two large hangars. Each of those hangars will be able to house two 737 aircraft or a variety of smaller planes, creating opportunities for corporate business aircraft, Harman said.
Harman estimates the construction project itself will involve around 150 workers and if it attracts the expected interest, could lead to 30 or 40 aviation-related jobs.
There’s a lot of demand right now for indoor storage areas for corporate business aircraft in the Pacific Northwest, Harman said, noting that most airports have waiting lists. The shortage has become more acute during the COVID-19 pandemic as more executives opt for chartered flights over commercial airlines.
This is considered an incubator project to see what interest there is from the market. Given the current demand for these types of facilities, it’s bound to trigger a second phase, Harman said.
The reason this economic development project attracted federal grant funding is it fits the overall goal of making airports self-sustaining, Harman said.
“They want to see revenue streams developed instead of having costs passed on to the taxpayer,” Harman said.
The most recent Port of Bellingham budget indicates that in 2020 the airport had operating revenues of just over $6.6 million, with expenses coming in at just over $5.9 million.
Plans are also in the works to put in a new snow removal equipment building on that unused property; the current grant from the federal government is being used for the design portion of the project. Harman said they plan to also apply for grants for the construction of the snow removal storage building next year, along with other projects.
This story was originally published May 18, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
