Growth Accelerating For Both Airfield And Associated Business Park

A focus on sport aviation is proving to be beneficial to DeLand Municipal Airport (KDED) in central Florida. Airport authorities say that the airport and the adjacent business park are becoming a premier sport aviation supplier, as well as a mecca for sport aviation on the U.S. east coast.

The West Volusia Beacon reports that Airport Manager John Eiff said at the most recent Airport Advisory Board meeting that the airport is "running out of ramp space."

Some of the reasons include about a dozen business jets waiting for a paint job at East Coast Aircraft, which has seen substantial growth in 2017. But there has been an increase in business across the board at the airport and the business park. There is currently a waiting list nearly 30 names long for one of the 100 T-hangars at KDED, and no openings are anticipated in the near term.

“We have some 56 all-aviation businesses within our airport security boundary, ‘inside the fence,’ and around 230 leaseholders in the business park, which we call ‘outside the fence’ but still on airport property,” Eiff said at the meeting.

Of those businesses, 35 are related to skydiving, according to the report. The skydiving industry alone accounts for some 500-600 skilled workers in the region.

One of the catalysts for all this activity is the annual Sport Aviation Showcase, which recently celebrated its first anniversary. Sport Aviation Administrator Jana Filip says her goal is to continue to grow the event, and leverage it to attract tenants to the Sport Aviation Village on the east side of the field.

Attendance at the 2017 showcase was up 12 percent over the inaugural event in 2016, Filip said. It produced about $750,000 in economic activity from hotel bookings, restaurant and other sales.

 The new Sport Aviation Village will encompass seven hangars, which will be under construction later this year. Eiff said that he expects 100 percent occupancy shortly after the hangars are available for lease.

FMI: Original report