Aviation View | Volume 2, Issue 2

104 AVIATION VIEW VOLUME 2, ISSUE 2 SOUTH TEXAS’ AVIATION SUPPORT AND FBO SINCE 1979 Gulf Aviation is a full-service aviation company in Rio Grande Valley providing premiere aviation support, aircraft maintenance and management throughout South Texas. Our services, however, go beyond our customer’s expectations. Gulf Aviation is devoted to customer service and commitment to doing whatever it takes to accommodate our client’s flights. Gulf Aviation is also a full-service, first-class FBO operator in Harlingen, Texas. So, whether you need a quick turn or a hanger to store your aircraft in South Texas, Gulf Aviation oƒers the best FBO services to get you where you need to be when you need to be there! Please contact us for more information: (956) 423-7317 www.gulf-aviation.net 5001 Bodenhamer Avenue Harlingen, TX 78550 and repair work. An exciting tenant at the airfield is United Launch Alliance, which manufactures nose cone fairings, and satellite separation rings for the Atlas V Rocket. United Launch Alliance has a large manufacturing facility on the airfield. A project in its infancy is the Harlingen Aerotropolis, which is 480 acres of land that the airport is looking to develop. This is a shovel- ready aeronautical and non-aeronautical site and the search is on for businesses in the aviation field to help diversify revenue streams. Valley International currently has an infrastructure project out for bid to extend its runway, with a budget for the project at close to $20 million. Runway 17R/35L is the longest runway in the Rio Grande Valley and South Texas at 8,300 feet. The project will add on an additional 1,100 feet, expanding it to 9,400 feet. This extension is being undertaken to increase cargo transport capabilities. At the moment, This strict policy of operating like a business means the airport is keen on maintaining a self-sustaining rate structure and carries no debt service. And they’ve been rewarded with a rainy day fund. Combining this with federal government support due to the pandemic, the airport could carry itself through the worst and offer rental abatement to its tenants. The relief funds have also been able to aid airlines. Tenants and airlines are hard to attract back to an airport when they leave, so management provided an 18-month relief program to keep them at Valley International during tough times. Currently, the airport is home to two fix-based operators (FBOs), Sun Valley Aviation and Gulf Aviation. As with all other spheres of operations at the airport, they both experienced positive growth in providing airlines with fuel. The airport is home to 145 companies, such as Tiger International, who do aircraft engine overhauls