BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — The deal to make the North Central West Virginia Airport the permanent home of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has been signed. Airport director Rick Rock said work on their facilities will begin immediately.
“Mitsibishi Heavy Industries Regional Jet which replaced Bombardier- they’re doing a $20 million build of two hangers,” Rock said,” To make their home permanent at the North Central West Virginia Airport.”
Once the ink dries on the agreement the work can begin. The Mitsubishi project is in addition to the $70 million in renovations that include access to Route 279 and the new Aerotech Business Park.
“We’ll start moving about 2 million cubic yards of dirt which will be about 100 acres next to our 7,800-foot runway,” Rock said,” And a new terminal that is desperately needed.”
In October of 2020, the governor and airport officials announced the airport would become a regional jet service hub that will provide maintenance, support, refurbishment and marketing work for aircraft.
“Just to know the temporary facility is going to become permanent,” Rock said,” It’s not always about expanding jobs, but retaining and this project actually retains and expands jobs, so it’s real exciting.”
Reports indicate as many as 750 skilled workers could be working at the facility soon. The jobs are stable with living wages and can provide local opportunities to young people looking for a trade.
“Kids today may not want to go to college, they want to go to work and there’s a great opportunity for them to do that here,” Rock said,” MHI (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries) needs another 200 people right now and those are real jobs right now.”
The economic impact of the airport on the economy is currently about $1 billion annually. Rock believes the changes that are happening now could push that figure closer to $2 billion.
“There are a lot of great opportunities for West Virginia people,” Rock said,” We’re really fighting to make sure that we leave it better than we found it and maximize the potential of the airport and all the potential it brings to us”
The project is slated to be complete in late 2023.