The Bay City Times reports on the expansion of Kalitta Air and the potential for future job growth in the Oscoda area:
An $8.75 million airplane hangar scheduled to open in January and bring 200 new jobs may be only the first such facility to land in Oscoda, economic developers said this week. Kalitta Air, a jet cargo carrier, said Thursday it has hired 100 people since September and will hire 100 more by January. The added crew will service 747 jumbo jets in Kalitta’s new hangar.
But even though the jobs put Kalitta’s work force at more than 800, the additions only begin to meet global demand for aviation maintenance services, market observers say. Kalitta is the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base’s largest operation.
“We’re already starting efforts to secure new hangar space because there’s growing need, nationally and internationally, for this aviation work,” said Gary Kellan, Oscoda Township economic development coordinator. “We envision this former military base possibly becoming a hub for large aircraft maintenance.”
Market studies done before launching the current, super-size hangar showed steep growth in 747 cargo fleets, Kellan said. A global economy is demanding more trans-continental trade, hence more jumbo jet cargo transport, he explained. “We have a very valuable infrastructure on the ground with that runway,” Kellan said. “Now we need to put more hangars on the ground.”
Kalitta’s new 85,000-square-foot hangar gives the company its second enclosed structure capable of housing a 747. [From Kalitta Air expansion could jump-start Oscoda- mlive.com]
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