Business View Magazine - May 2024

undergone a remarkable transformation, evolving from its humble beginnings into a burgeoning hub for corporate aviation. “We started as a small airport back in the 1950s, with a small grass slip, a glider airport really, for decades. Over the last 30 years or so, we started to grow into the airport we are today,” describes Airport Director, Sam Sachs. “We do quite a bit of flight training, but a lot of what we see here in the growth is with the corporate and business aviation side. 20 years ago, we had a pretty small ramp, a single hanger, and then all of a sudden, this immense amount of growth in the area around us, which kind of forced the airport to grow as well.” GROWTH AND RESILIENCE As the surrounding communities continue to surge, the airport has encountered what Sachs describes as “growing pains.” He notes,“We’re dealing with it and tackling one thing at a time.”This resilient mindset was exemplified by the successful completion of a runway extension project in 2023, which was accomplished within a 90-day timeframe during the hottest months of the year. Ranking second in the state for business aviation, last year the airport averaged 26 operations daily, slightly lower than the previous years due to the runway construction. “Corporate business aviation is kind of where our niche is.We are growing in a lot of different aspects as well, but that’s where our focus has been in the last couple of years,” Sachs maintains. TRAINING AND EDUCATION Operated by Jet Access, a full-service FBO with locations across the US, the airport offers full-service amenities, including flight training,maintenance, and a charter fleet. In terms of the flight training opportunities Sachs relays,“They have a steady flow of people coming in and out of the flight school.They’re focusing on a zero to hero type flight training program, where you start 213 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 11, ISSUE 05 INDIANAPOL IS EXECUT IVE AIRPORT