Port of Othello working to expand airport services
Port of Othello commissioners hope to expand airport services by leasing a recently-purchased hangar.
COURTESY PHOTO/PORT OF OTHELLO
OTHELLO — Port of Othello commissioners are looking to expand services at the Othello Municipal Airport and have purchased a hangar with the potential to do that.
“We’re trying to get the word out that we have this space,” said Executive Director Chris Faix. “There are several things we could do with it. There are lots of opportunities.”
The port bought the hangar from a former tenant approaching retirement, Faix said, and wants to use the space to make the airport more attractive to prospective tenants. Faix said port officials are looking for a tenant who would use the space to help reach that goal. Among the suggestions from commissioners is an aviation repair business, although there are other possibilities.
“We were wondering about a flight school,” Faix said.
The property is set up for commercial use.
“There was (an aerial application) business there,” he said, but the owner had decided to retire. “He’s been wanting to sell it for years.”
The hangar has a separate shop and what was once a residence attached – but the house, Faix said, can’t be used as a residence.
The property is subject to Federal Aviation Administration regulations, which limit the use of the former house. The previous owner had permission to live there, but that permission ended with him, Faix said.
The former house could be put to use in other ways, however.
“It would make a good pilot’s lounge,” Faix said. Port commissioners want to expand available services at the airport, he said.
The airport doesn’t have an on-site repair service, and port officials think that would be a good addition, Faix said. He cited the case of a pilot who needed repairs and had to find another way back to his Seattle residence, leaving his aircraft in Othello until he could get a mechanic to town to fix it.
While there are other options, Faix said port commissioners wanted to focus on using the space to enhance airport services.
“We’d like to build the airport up,” he said. "Something aviation-related is what we’re leaning toward.”
Port commissioners are still working on establishing a fee, Faix said. Once the fee is established, the site will be ready for occupancy.
“Anyone who wants to come in, we’re ready,” Faix said.