Chad is the editor of AINalerts, AIN's daily business aviation newsletter, and is also the news editor at AIN Media Group.&nbsp;He has been writing about aviation, with an emphasis on business aviation, since 1994. Chad started his writing career at The Avion,&nbsp;the&nbsp;student newspaper at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, serving as editor-in-chief before graduating with a bachelor's in aeronautical science. After a stint as managing editor at Professional Pilot&nbsp;magazine, he joined&nbsp;AIN in late 1998. Chad holds a commercial pilot certificated with instrument and multi-engine ratings, and he also is a CFI/CFII. He lives and works from his home in Venice, Florida.

Online Editor

Chad Trautvetter

West Star Aviation specializes in airframe repair and maintenance, engine repair and maintenance, major modifications, avionics installation and repair, interior refurbishment, paint, parts, surplus avionics sales, window repair and accessory services.

Business aircraft maintenance provider West Star Aviation on Wednesday afternoon broke ground on an expansion of its MRO facility at Tennessee’s Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (KCHA). According to the company, the project will increase the site to approximately 400,000 sq ft, with completion targeted for next February.
Under the expansion, 40,000-sq-ft Hangar 26 and an adjacent 15,000 sq ft of shop and office space will be added. The maintenance hangar will include an overhead crane, fall protection systems, dedicated fire-rated aircraft document storage rooms, and a customer lounge.
West Star’s development will also expand Hangar 27 with a two-story, 30,000-sq-ft addition. The new footprint will house an expanded aircraft service department and accessories, composite, and sheet metal shops, bringing critical functions closer together.
Up to 200 additional skilled positions are expected to be created over the next five years because of the expansion, according to West Star. That’s on top of the company’s existing 500 employees at the Chattanooga location, it added.
“Chattanooga continues to be a strategic location for West Star and for customers who need dependable access to maintenance support,” the company said. “With convenient reach across the Southeast, East Coast, and North Central U.S., the airport’s accessibility, combined with the region’s connectivity and amenities, makes it an ideal place to expand and a strong foundation for long-term service growth.”
The full-service facility can handle everything from line maintenance to major modifications, including avionics upgrades, interior refurbishment, and paint.
West Star also has full-service MROs in East Alton, Illinois; Grand Junction, Colorado; Millville, New Jersey; Perryville, Missouri; and Statesville, North Carolina, as well as satellite locations in Denver, Houston, Minneapolis, and Chicago.

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