Under the watchful eye of “Rocket Bob,” general aviation has a new home at the Central Nebraska Regional Airport.
“You can look out and the see the tower and the new terminal,” airport director Mike Olson said, showing off the new facility.
It’s a project that’s been on the books for several years, but the process stalled for about two years.
Olson said, “This is an investment by the Airport Authority and Trego-Dugan Aviation. They’ve sunk a lot of money into this project as well.”
Trego-Dugan is what’s known as a fixed-base operator, fueling private planes that stop in Grand Island. Olson said the company has grown with the airport, and now handles baggage handling and ticket counters for Allegiant and American Eagle flights in the main terminal.
Back in the general aviation terminal, there’s a pilot’s lounge, conference room, waiting area, and offices for staff as they monitor flights.
Olson says Trego-Dugan, a central Nebraska-based business has been a great partner with the airport, and it was time to upgrade their terminal.
He said, “It’s not ‘we just want to build it because,’ it’s being driven by demand.”
It should be especially nice for business travelers. In a sense, Olson said this is the front door to the community, so he said it pays to make a good first impression.
“For the business people that are spending millions of dollars on commerce in Grand Island, you want to have a nice looking facility,” he said.
The new general aviation terminal is one of three multi-million dollar projects going on at the airport.
A new parking lot is under construction, and the big project is the new passenger terminal, which should open around February.
Rocket Bob should see plenty of planes from his new view.
Olson said, “It’s been very hectic in airport administration and operations the last year or so, but once we get the terminal done and the associated parking lots done, this campus will look very, very beautiful.”
The new general aviation terminal opened just a few days ago.
And there’s more excitement this week, with the first flight to Orlando departing Saturday on Allegiant.