Appleton International Airport announced a hangar expansion June 1 that will help accommodate an expected influx of air traffic from regional events that officials said contribute hundreds of millions to the local economy.
“We’re thrilled to kick off construction of this brand-new hangar designed to meet the growing needs of our corporate and business aircraft clients,” said Airport Director Abe Weber.
He anticipates the hangar will be especially valuable during the annual influx of aircraft during the annual Experimental Aircraft Association event in Oshkosh and during the National Football League draft in April 2025. EAA generates an estimated $170 million in economic activity each year and the NFL draft is expected to generate up to $200 million.
The 3,000-square-foot hangar is being built at the south end of the airport near Appleton Flight Center, a fixed-base operator that provides services to private flights. Weber said the hangar will have a 175-by-175-foot hangar with 28-foot-wide doors, restrooms, storage and maintenance space.
Westwood Professional Services and SMA Construction Services are the contractors for the hangar.
Weber said aviation activity at ATW increased by 23 percent in 2022 compared to the prior year and increased by more than 30 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
“We recognize the economic impact of general aviation and its role in supporting local businesses and job creation,” Weber said.
He pointed to a map and the surrounding land to point out there was room for further expansion that could help meet an ambitious goal set forth by Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson.
Nelson said the airport currently provides $700 million in annual economic activity in the New North region, but he has set a goal for the airport to reach $1 billion a year.
“What we do here is first and foremost about Outagamie County, but the mission here at Appleton International Airport goes so much further than just our county,” Nelson said. “This is in many respects a regional economic driver and job creator.”
That factored into the decision by the Outagamie County Board of Supervisors to approve a $10 million investment in another project being undertaken by the airport.
The $105 million project to expand the terminal includes a 60,000-square-foot concourse expansion with up to 10 gates, technology improvements, a reconfigured entry, expanded ticketing and baggage claim. There also will be a new air traffic control tower, improvement to the Northeast Business Park and creation of an electrical microgrid.
Most of the funding is coming from state and federal sources for the airport that has become Wisconsin’s third largest. No updates were provided about the terminal expansion and other projects as of June 1.
