Wichita Service Center Bigger Than Airport Terminal

Pop quiz: What building at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport is bigger than the airport terminal itself?

Answer: Cessna's huge new Citation Service Center.

In fact, the 443,000 square foot facility is the biggest building anywhere between Denver and Kansas City. The $61 million service center will employ 500 people over the next five years. That number is expected to increase when the plant becomes a finishing point for Cessna's new Sovereign jets.

Cessna has ten such facilities around the world. Project Manager Joel Davis says the Wichita facility will be able to service 100 bizjets a day -- twice what the current facility can handle.

If you're bringing your jet to ICT for service at the new plant, expect to be pampered. "You have customers coming in who bought a $19 million airplane, and they expect something kind of nice," said Cessna spokeswoman Jessica Myers in an interview with the Associated Press. They'll have access to plush lounges and private offices, as well as a full-blown restaurant and a gift shop.

Cessna started moving into the new facility over the weekend, a process that should take about a month and a half.

FMI: www.cessna.com