APPLETON (NBC 26) — The Appleton Flight Center has officially unveiled its plans for a new private plane hangar. The expansion will take the facility from two to three hangars, a necessary step to keep up with the growing demand for chartered planes in the region.
During the announcement, airport officials highlighted the significance of this expansion project. Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson described the new hangar as a symbol of economic prosperity.
"I see $370 million dollars of economic activity and that’s just for two events,” said Nelson.
Abe Weber, the Airport Director, revealed that the airport experienced a 23% increase in general aviation in 2022 alone.
"We're seeing growth in general aviation across the board, but primarily in corporate and business jets," Weber said. "This new hangar will accommodate up to 10 business jets."
One of the companies benefiting from the expansion is Maxair, a private charter service operating in the area. Lisa Betley, an inside sales coordinator for Maxair, emphasized that the surge in private air travel is due to the time-saving convenience it offers.
"With private charter, we're just really able to hone in on our customers' needs a little more specifically," said Betley.
With the 2025 NFL Draft scheduled to take place in Green Bay, all stakeholders expect the additional hangar to be a major benefit for the region.
"A hangar project like this on the surface might not seem like a big deal, but the ability for us to host more business, more corporate aircraft here that serves the greater Fox Valley and Northeast Wisconsin is really what it's about," said Weber.
The construction of the new hangar is already underway and is projected to be completed by the fall of this year.
