Chennault International Airport has completed its $4 million air cargo facility.
The airport’s cargo pass-through facility is now ready and available for lease at the emerging aerospace hub along the central US Gulf Coast. The site in Lake Charles, Louisiana includes a 1,000 sq ft office area and an expandable 9,000-square foot warehouse. The adjacent aircraft parking apron is 127,000 sq ft, able to accommodate both large and small cargo aircraft.
“Chennault is a very robust airport with enormous potential, and Southwest Louisiana is a cargo-rich region of the world,” national consultant David Whitaker said.
Chennault International Airport is offering competitive incentives, and has enabled international clearance capabilities for air cargo activity. The airport has also approved the acquisition of specialised air cargo ground equipment to mitigate a capital expense that otherwise can be a barrier to start-up activity.
Chennault’s other advantages include its two-mile-long runway, the longest of any airport between Houston and Cape Canaveral, its uncongested airspace and ground space, recent taxiway improvements, and the additional land available to expand the air cargo site.
Read more: Chennault Airport prepares for opening of new cargo facility
“As part of that package, two years of waived landing fees are offered for all commercial air cargo landings in an effort to reduce airline costs associated with a new market,” Chennault International Airport’s executive director Kevin Melton said. “The willingness to change and look for opportunities outside of the norm is critical to remaining relevant in our dynamic world today.”
“Chennault remains a game-changer for Southwest Louisiana and we’re excited to offer this new opportunity for more development and more jobs,” Melton added. Currently, nearly 1,000 people work at tenant businesses at the airport, with an annual payroll of $127 million.
Chennault has also established a formal relationship with U.S. Customs and Border Protection for the clearance of foreign aircraft, crews, and air cargo at Chennault.
The site, a former U.S. Air Force base, is now a complex for aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, high-end aircraft refinishing and non-aerospace manufacturing. In all, it now has 1.5 million sq ft of buildings/hangar space that is available for business tenants. The major businesses currently located at Chennault include Northrop Grumman, Citadel Completions, LandLocked Aviation Services, Louisiana Millwork/Masonite, and Million Air.
