T-hangars at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport called a competitive necessity

This story is updated to include the total number of hangars once construction is completed.

Twenty new T-hangars are coming to Cape Girardeau Regional Airport and their addition to the facility long ago known as Harris Field are important, officials say, to Southeast Missouri's continued economic development.

Katrina Amos

Katrina Amos

Earlier this month, Cape Girardeau City Council gave final authorization to build the hangars, in two sets of 10, in a $2.9 million project with an expected completion by mid-2024.

Rob Gilligan

Rob Gilligan

"T-hangars have the ability to have a lasting impact, just as much as our new airport terminal, because when you increase (hangar) capacity, it could be the potential for a new business to be brought to this area," airport manager Katrina Amos said.

"These T-hangars are really an opportunity for the broader region of Southeast Missouri," added Rob Gilligan, president/CEO of Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce.

"As businesses, developers, corporations and others who need to conduct business in a more convenient manner than is possible by car or by flying commercial, having more T-hangars will help us in the recruitment of business and industry to the region. A business which knows it has a place to base its own aircraft is important. I think for us to compete in the future, especially for large group projects, (T-hangars) are one of the checkboxes companies and other organizations look at because, if they have to do business and can only depend on commercial flight access or having to drive over to Cape from another airport, it makes us less competitive."

Definition

According to www.global-aero.com, a T-hangar is "shaped like the letter 'T' and is designed with just enough room to accommodate a plane. These no-frills hangars provide full protection from the elements. They do not, however, provide much, if any room, for accessing the plane to perform maintenance or repairs."

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) reports "aircraft hangars are in high demand and short supply, with some airports compiling waiting lists that can top several years."

Amos affirmed AOPA's statement.

"When you have a waiting list of 10 or more for the last decade, as we've had at Cape Regional, you're not serving your community as well as you should because of a lack of capacity. We've been able to somewhat meet the needs with the community hangars, and the former Commander hangar has served us extremely well. The fact is, though, most people want their own private hangar and store their aircraft separately. Community hangars work for some but not for all," Amos said.

"The last time we built T-hangars was in 2014 and we built a set of 10 at that time. They were filled immediately. As soon as they were ready for occupancy, we had tenants move their aircraft into them. I have no doubt the same will be true when these new hangars are finished."

Details

"When we first embarked on this project, we thought we could realistically build 26 new hangars. Due to price increases, we discovered 20 is the most we could get given our budget," Amos informed.

T-hangar funding has been bundled from a number of sources, including $1.4 million from Cape Girardeau's capital improvement sales tax and $300,000 provided through the federal bipartisan infrastructure bill.

Eighteen existing hangars already scheduled for demolition were in the process of being torn down at presstime.

Those hangars had sustained substantial damage from a July 2 storm that also damaged KCI Construction's on-site trailer and the current airport terminal's roof.

Amos told City Council on Aug. 11 that the T-hangar project, awarded to Perryville, Missouri-based Zoellner Construction, is in the final design phase with construction due to begin in September.

Burns & McDonnell Engineering, with a regional office in St. Louis, is working with the city on design.

The 20 new hangars will be installed in 2024, bringing the total number of available hangars at Cape Regional once construction is completed to 40 overall.

Once ordered, wait time for arrival of the 20 new hangars is estimated at 10-to-20 weeks.

Side work, including concrete and taxiway connectors, should be completed sometime this fall, Amos told council members.

Last word

"From a revenue-generating standpoint, every aircraft we have based here helps increase the airport's and city's revenue from fuel sales. Overall, these T-hangars, as well as the new airport terminal project, are a win-win for the airport, the community and the region," Amos said.

Of note

• Groundbreaking was held April 11 for a $12 million, 20,000-square-foot passenger terminal at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, with completion anticipated in June. A projected $10 million for terminal funding is earmarked from federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act monies.
• Contour Airlines, a Smyrna, Tennessee-based carrier, flies 30-seat ERJ-135 aircraft on daily flights to and from Nashville.
• Approximately 500 jobs are Cape Girardeau Regional Airport related, generating an estimated $12 million in annual payroll, Amos told attendees at Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee in May.

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