One year later: Sheltair TPA hangar expansion on schedule for March 2023 opening
A major expansion at Sheltair’s Tampa International Airport facility is on schedule one year after breaking ground for new hangars and offices.
It’s just in time, too, as the largest privately-held fixed base operator chain in the United States is seeing rapid growth in Tampa. Sheltair General Manager Jamie Toler said the company has seen a 60 percent increase in charters year over year.
“We’re at capacity now and we already have tenants waiting to go in the new buildings,” Toler said. Sheltair is now offering leases for the new facilities through its leasing office.
The construction of Hangars 6 and 7 started in October 2021. The project will add 100,000 square feet of storage, mechanical and office space to Sheltair’s footprint.
Hangars 6A, 6B and 7A will offer storage for clients’ aircraft, office space and parking, while 7B will serve as a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility.
Senior Project Manager Adam Smith, who oversees construction for Sheltair locations all over Florida, said the $26 million project is moving along smoothly. The walls for the hangars and offices are up; the latest milestone is the installation of a “super-truss,” a structural steel support that Smith described as “about 60 feet short of the length of a football field.”
The new hangars will feature 28-foot doors to accommodate larger general aviation aircraft, with an extended apron and ramp. Crews are also currently adding drainage systems, plus exterior steel paneling to match the rest of Sheltair’s buildings at TPA.
Final inspections are due to start in late February, Smith said, with a grand opening set for March 2023.