West Star breaks ground on MRO expansion project

West Star Aviation broke ground on the East Alton, Illinois expansion project. The project will expand the MRO facility and is expected to be completed by early Spring 2024.

 “The current expansion project for East Alton, Illinois will ensure West Star Aviation will be well-positioned to meet our customers’ needs,” West Star Aviation CEO Jim Rankin said. “This expansion along with the new hangar in Chattanooga, Tennessee scheduled to open for business at the end of this month, shows our continued commitment to implementing sustainable growth that benefits our customers, employees, and the surrounding communities.”

The expansion will add 75,000 square feet of space to bring the total facility to over 500,000 square feet of hangar, back shop, modification and paint space. The project will add 40,000 square feet of hangar capacity, 22,300 square feet of additional back shop space and 13,400 square feet of storage space.

West Star is working with Contegra Construction and the St. Louis Regional Airport (ALN).

“The recent rapid growth in the MRO industry has accelerated the need to add additional space to our facilities, allowing us to better serve our valued customers in a timely manner,” ALN General Manager Brian Bauwens said.

“Contegra Construction is proud to partner with West Star Aviation to lead the design-build process for Hangar 67,” Contegra Construction Project Director Jared Lengermann said. “This is the third hanger project Contegra has partnered with WestStar in the past ten years.”