A new hangar to accommodate growing storage demand by large twin-engine aircraft and business jet owners has completed the design stage and will begin construction this month with available occupancy for a tenant this fall, thanks to a multi-modal grant from the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

The hangar, designed by Airport Development Group Inc., is a 100-x-100-foot facility that is large enough to hold a Gulfstream IV business jet, said Michelle Jackson, airport manager. The new $700,000 building will have an 80-foot wide by 26-foot tall hangar door to allow for fast access to the aircraft and will have an additional 1,000 square feet of office space in front which can be modified to meet the needs of a tenant.

"As business aviation continues to rebound from these challenging economic times, we're very pleased to be in a position to grow our airfield field facilities and offer these needed services to our customers," Jackson said.

The airport is owned by Hinds Community College serving approximately 19,500 students each year at six different locations. Hinds offers aviation technology programs at the airport - such as pilot training, aviation management, avionics, airframe and powerplant certification - and an air traffic control training curriculum that started in the spring 2009 semester.

John Bell Williams Airport is in the final stages of an $11 million capital improvement program that has included reconstruction and lengthening of its runway and taxiway to accommodate a greater percentage of the worldwide business jet fleet. They will complete the installation of an instrument landing system in summer 2010 that transforms the facility into an all-weather airport.

"Our airport is ideally located in the rapidly growing suburban areas west of Jackson. We are perfectly positioned to offer a dynamic combination of aviation service and business locations to serve this region of the state," Jackson said.

FMI: www.jbwairport.com