Anyone who has flown into, out of, or over the Salina Municipal Airport (SLN) in Kansas has no doubt noticed busy construction crews all over the airfield. Why all the activity now? A single word: Jobs.

“We are working to be successful in recruiting more businesses like CAV Aerospace,” said Tim Rogers, A.A.E., the airport authority’s executive director.

CAV Aerospace provides the TKS ice protection system to aircraft operators. The company designs, markets and sells to original equipment manufacturers, fleet and individual aircraft owners. It ships kits for installation to OEMs for the production line. Fleet and individual aircraft owners bring planes to Salina to install ice protection, a key safety provision.

“Our strategic plan is to recruit maintenance, repair and overhaul operations such as aircraft paint, interior installation, avionics, engine overhaul and the like, which complement our existing tenants,” said Rogers.

The National Guard’s Great Plains Joint Training Center and K-State at Salina’s new unmanned aircraft systems program office are also on the field, airport officials note.

An expanded Aviation Service Center will bring more than 800 new jobs to Salina and Saline County within the next three years.

For more information: Salair.org