Business View Magazine | May/June 2022

123 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 5 There are also tours of the airport, including the repair shop and museum. The camp is designed to allow the students to explore the different aspects and facets of aviation and what careers are available in the industry. Prior to the pandemic, the airport was hosting multiple of the week-long camps each summer, which were scaled back during COVID, but the intention is to get them fully back up and running this summer. “There are some new and exciting opportunities on the horizon as well,” Finken adds. “We are currently in preliminary conversations with some of the Vertiport folks. Ohio is going to be at the forefront of unmanned aircraft. They are doing a lot of work down in the southern portion of the state and Drive Ohio has approached us about getting involved with that technology. We were also approached by NASA regarding a project designed to monitor harmful algae blooms on Lake Erie. They are looking at the possibility of using EOIA as a forward base of operation for drone surveillance of these harmful blooms, which have a major impact on our region and Lake Erie as a whole.” Moving forward, Erie-Ottawa International Airport is working toward self-sustainability with a multi-faceted approach. Finken shares, “We are using diversification to attract new business, while at the same time shoring up existing businesses. I am trying to cater to the needs of the community. That is one of my biggest initiatives, to understand what it is that users need and want from the airport, and to work diligently to those ends… not just to grow the airport for the sake of growing, but to make sure that we choose projects that drive our fundamental purpose – which is serving our community.” ER I E-OTTAWA INTERNAT IONAL A I RPORT Erie Air Service is refurbishing hangar space (125’ x 120’) at EOIA First class monthly and transient hangar space rental will be available starting July 1, 2022 We are also expanding the charter fleet at Griffing Flying Service with three new aircraft Aircraft: Cirrus SR22, Citation 550, Hawker 800XP Contact Griffing Flying Service at 419-734-5400 for hangar rental or charter services WWW.ERIEAIRSERVICE.COM