Western, a commercial real estate development and design-build firm specialising in the aviation industry, plans to develop a new corporate aviation campus on 48 acres at Raleigh-Durham International airport (RDU) in North Carolina. The development agreement between Western and RDU was approved during the airport authority board meeting held on 21 February.

According to Western CEO Brad Henderson, the firm is looking forward to working with executives at the airport and the Research Triangle region. The tentative plans call for approximately 21 hangars ranging in size from 12,100 sq ft to over 30,000 sq ft with the option for attached offices on several units. The 48-acre site is adjacent to the SAS Institute hangar at the northeast side of the airport.

“The campus has already received interest from potential corporate clients and we feel this could make a big economic impact in the area,” Henderson says. Western plans to develop, design, construct and lease-back the hangars to potential clients. The firm would also be responsible for the facilities' maintenance.

RDU president and CEO Michael Landguth adds: “We are excited to engage Western in its first public-private partnership to build a new, state-of-the-art corporate aviation campus. The campus will support local customers with existing general aviation needs and also help recruit corporate jetsetters whose companies may be considering entry into the Triangle.”

Western has also broken ground on Premier AeroNautique at SAT, a corporate hangar development at San Antonio International airport. The facility will feature seven hangars and associated office space totalling over 125,000 sq ft.

Russ Handy, aviation director for the City of San Antonio, states: “This $25 million multi-hangar development initiative is the largest single private or corporate capital project in San Antonio International airport's history. It is projected to be the centrepiece of the airport facilities and is part of our strategic plan to raise the bar.”

These facilities will be part of the first hangar development at SAT since 2014, where the average age of existing hangars is approximately 20 years. The facilities will be built to suit charter operators, corporate tenants, MROs and manufacturers.

The development is expected to have a large impact on future clients' business as evidenced by Brock Miller of AirMed International: “This development will allow Air Evac and AirMed to better serve the patients we treat.”

SyberJet Aircraft will also use the space for its engineering, flight test operations and repair station. Financing will be provided by WesternSATLeasing, a subsidiary of American Corporate Airport Partners. Most of the hangars have been leased but there is still some availability.