Apr. 22—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Just three years after launching an aviation school to help address the nation's pilot shortage, St. Francis University and Nulton Aviation are vying to land a center to train mechanics to work on the industry's planes.
The company and the university want to use a 100,000-square-foot hangar and adjoining office space at John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport where students could enroll in a 16-month program to obtain aviation maintenance technician licenses.
The Airframe and Powerplant license certifies a mechanic to work on nearly every aspect of an airplane, including the engine, landing gear, brakes and air conditioning system, leaders said.
It also has a job growth projection 11% above the national average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics' most recent Occupational Outlook Handbook.
St. Francis University Communications Manager Marie Young said the median age of workers in the field is 51 — nine years older than the national workforce average.
Designed as a shorter program compared to traditional academic counterparts, students who enroll would be able to quickly graduate into an industry "desperate to find quality workers" — not only in the aviation fields but also heavy equipment and automotive, Young said.
The Johnstown-Cambria County Airport Authority's vote this week gave the private college and Nulton approval to seek federal funding for the project's start-up, Airport Manager Cory Cree said.
An application deadline was looming at the end of the month, he noted.
If the plan progresses, board members said the program could serve as a partnership with the airport's next passenger carrier, enabling students to learn the trade according to that company's specifications.
That could give local graduates an inside track in starting their careers with a local carrier.
Rental wash
Airport officials are moving forward with a plan that would add a car wash on the airport property.
The move follows through on a pledge airport officials made to recruit an on-site car rental company to the Johnstown airport.
Hertz moved into a vacant office space in February under a $500-per-month lease.
The car wash — a "no frills" prefabricated steel garage with water and electric heat — would be leased to Hertz, or future rental companies, through a separate agreement, Cree said.
In doing so, it would allow rental services to keep their vehicles clean and ready on-site for customers.
For that to happen, the authority has requested a zoning variance to enable the authority to have the building placed 10 feet from the edge of the nearest highway right of way.
A meeting is being scheduled for May, authority officials said.
Several other projects are also moving toward development.
Authority officials are seeking FAA approvals to construct a two-unit hangar on the property.
Cree said the hangars would be developed to fit corporate aircraft or to support airplane maintenance.
If all goes well, bids could be sought this summer for the project.
Authority members also pressed their Kimball engineer about whether a planned seven-unit hangar might see construction in 2022.
"Right now, our hangars are full," authority member Jim Loncella said. "There's a waiting list right now.
"And as we work to develop our Keystone Opportunity Zone ... there's going to be a demand for more space," he said. "So we want to be ready to move on it."
With SkyWest no longer planning to serve Essential Air Service airports by the end of summer, efforts continue to find a replacement — with a May 11 federal deadline for applications approaching.
Cree said he expects at least two air carriers will apply, based on recent conversations.
The move comes as the airport continues seeing its highest flight numbers in 15 years.
SkyWest's latest monthly report showed 1,678 passengers flew into or from the airport in March — including 832 departures, or "enplanements."
By comparison, the airport has 182 enplanements in March 2021 and 305 in 2020.
Over the past 12 consecutive months, SkyWest has flown 20,008 people into or from Johnstown, including 10,027 enplanements.
The airport last hit that target in 2006, historical figures show.
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