New $20-Million FBO a Boon For Connecticut’s Economy

Business aviation powerhouse Clay Lacy, the air-charter, aircraft maintenance, and Fixed Base Operator (FBO) founded on the Van Nuys Airport in 1968 and namesake of one of America’s most noted airmen and aviation figures, has broken ground on a $20-million expansion of its operation on Connecticut’s Waterbury-Oxford Airport.

The expansion’s first phase will see the construction of a new passenger terminal, executive offices, and a 40,000-square-foot hangar. The 11-acre complex will create two-hundred jobs with an annual payroll in excess of $32-million, and provide work for approximately 420 construction workers. The new FBO and maintenance facility is expected to open in 2024.

Clay Lacy CEO and president Brian Kirkdoffer states: “We’re breaking ground on what will be one of the finest FBOs and aviation facilities in the country. It will expand and enhance all of the services that we provide. Oxford will be an incredible economic and employment engine, attracting and supporting the finest aircraft and flight operations in the world.”

Connecticut Airport Authority executive director Kevin Dillon adds: “Investments like this serve a very significant role in the overall economic development mission of the Connecticut Airport Authority. It elevates the stature and status of the airport and allows us to attract activity all over.”

Construction of the new facilities will proceed in accordance with Clay Lacy’s sustainability strategy, and will be certified carbon neutral. Building plans call for the inclusion of solar panels, electric vehicle and electric aircraft charging stations, efficient building design, and infrastructure conducive to the storage and dispensation of sustainable aviation fuels.

In addition to its efforts on the Waterbury-Oxford Airport, Clay Lacy’s commitment to Connecticut’s economy is evident in a new annual scholarship program the company has established in cooperation with CT Aerotech, a Connecticut-based aircraft mechanics school. CT Aerotech students pursuing FAA certification as airframe and powerplant technicians will be eligible to partake in the $16,000 scholarship and up to $10,500 in on-the-job internships at Clay Lacy.

CT Aerotech principal John Ryan asserts: “We’ve established a great pipeline to support Connecticut and its economy. This scholarship program just further strengthens that resolve to put people here in Connecticut to work and get these jobs.”

FMI: www.claylacy.com