Aerospace program at Punta Gorda Airport could bring hundreds of jobs to Charlotte County
June 6th, 2019
By Reporter: Hannah Vogel, Writer: Michael Mora - WINK News
A new million dollar project could bring more jobs to Southwest Florida. Soon, you could see an aerospace program coming to the Punta Gorda Airport.
“I see wins all over the Place,” said Pamella Seay, chairman at the Charlotte County Airport Authority.
The number of jobs and students at the Punta Gorda Airport may soon soar to new heights.
“We are training people throughout the region,” said Dave Gammon, interim director of economic development for Charlotte County, “and they can stay here in Charlotte County.”
Fort Myers based Intrepid Aerospace wants to lease a piece of land from the Charlotte County Airport Authority.
“It’s not going to look like this at all,” Gammon said. “We are going to have a 60-foot tall hangar.”
A hanger, for aircraft maintenance and repairs, which could create up to 120 higher paying jobs. They hope to have it open within the next eight to nine months.
Intrepid would hire its own mechanics, doing maintenance, repair and operations or MRO. It may not have to look far for future employees.
“The A and P school could be located right here at the Punta Gorda Airport,” Seay said.
Charlotte County’s School Board wants to operate the technical college’s new airframe and powerplant mechanics training program on the property. It aspires to take over Western Michigan University’s Pilot Training classroom and hangar when its lease ends in August.
Also in the works, an Arizona based company training pilots at the airport. All with the potential to bring more jobs, students and revenue into Charlotte County. The airport authority will have a vote on the plans at its June 20 meeting.
“There’s a lot of factors,” Seay said. “We are looking at them all and evaluating them.”
