West Star Aviation Breaks Ground on Chattanooga MRO Expansion
West Star Aviation has broken ground on an new expansion at its Chattanooga Airport site, driven by increased demand for aircraft maintenance services.
This expansion brings West Star Aviation’s Chattanooga location around 400,000 square feet, and it’s expected to be completed in February 2027.
A new hangar will feature:
- 40,000 square feet of hangar space
- 15,000 square feet of shop and office space
- Overhead crane
- Fall protection systems
- Fire rated aircraft document storage room
- Climate-controlled storage
- Customer offices
- Program offices
- Customer lounge
West Star Aviation is also expanding its current Hangar 27 at this location, adding a two-story addition that spans 30,000 square feet.
Within the new footprint, West Star will now have expanded:
- Aircraft Service Department
- Accessories Shop
- Composite Shop
- Sheetmetal Shop
The company anticipates around 200 skilled jobs opening due to the expansion, showcasing West Star Aviation’s dedication to supporting the AMT workforce in Tennessee.
Chattanooga is a full-service location of West Star Aviation, providing services like:
- Maintenance
- Aircraft modifications
- Avionics upgrades
- Interior refurbishment
- Paint
For ongoing support and partnership, West Star Aviation thanks the following organizations:
- Tennessee Valley Authority
- Electric Power Board
- Tectonic
- Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce
- State of Tennessee
- Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority
- Chattanooga Airport
Recognizing leadership and participation, the company also thanks the speakers who appeared at the groundbreaking ceremony:
- Jack McAfee, vice president of operations with the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority
- Weston Wamp, mayor of Hamilton County
“This is a very exciting time for West Star Aviation as we continue to grow here at Chattanooga Airport,” said Mike Ditmeyer, vice president and general manager, Chattanooga Location.
Ditmeyer added, “The site expansion strengthens our foundation to support our customers’ maintenance needs and further develop our team’s expertise. The pride, quality and teamwork of this group are at the heart of this facility.”