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Airport director presses for hangars, roof repairs and parking strategy as traffic and operations rise
Summary
Airport Director Justin Fletcher told the council San Angelo Regional Airport logged about 117,000 operations last year but is constrained by aging pavement, leaking hangar roofs and a 40-person wait list for T‑hangars.
Airport Director Justin Fletcher briefed the council workshop on facility needs tied to growth in flight operations and rising demand for hangar space and services.
Fletcher said the airport recorded about 117,000 operations last year and supports a wide range of activity including commercial service, flight training tied to the university program, military detachments and corporate aviation. He called the range of activity "a huge asset" but warned local infrastructure must be maintained.
Among immediate maintenance needs Fletcher cited leaking hangar and terminal roofs; he said about eight hangars had roof leaks after recent rains and that some leaks caused water damage to tenant spaces and equipment. He asked council for a roof assessment and a plan for repairs because leases impose a landlord obligation to maintain hangar structures.
Fletcher also described a 40-person waiting list for T-hangars and said airport parking and hangar capacity are a commercial opportunity. He suggested exploring a paid parking program and beautification upgrades to the terminal parking lot; a rough in-house estimate suggested a modest paid-parking fee (he used $5 as an illustrative example) could generate roughly $200,000 a year, although staff said an official parking study is required. He cautioned that any parking or fee policy needs to balance customer choice and airline competitiveness.
On airside pavement, Fletcher said portions of apron and taxiway concrete are cracking and require sealing or replacement; loose concrete fragments can create foreign-object debris hazards to turbine engines. He reported the airport had opened bids on the south taxi lane project and planned to use a combination of federal entitlement and other funding to proceed. He also raised staffing and equipment needs for fence maintenance and airfield painting.
Ending
Airport staff will return with a prioritized list of roof repairs, hangar development options tied to taxiway capacity, and a parking-study scope and cost estimate for council consideration during the budget process.
