Ready for Take Off!

Businesses, industry representatives and economic developers are responding to increased airport traffic and the needs of the aerospace industry here in northern Idaho.

The Sandpoint and Coeur d’Alene airports have both experienced increased air traffic but for different clienteles. While the Sandpoint Airport sees more tourist and aerospace industry traffic, the Coeur d’Alene Airport sees more general business commercial traffic. But business looks good and both are maintaining and evaluating ways to respond to the demand.

Coeur d’Alene Airport & Corporate Flyers

At the Coeur d’Alene Airport, Greg Delavan, Airport Manager, has seen a change from single-engine flyers to more corporate style jets.

“The guys like me, who love to fly, don’t do it as much anymore because of the price of fuel,” he said. “But there are more corporate flyers because it’s so difficult to travel through commercially.”

There’s a draw to fly through smaller, general aviation airports such as the one in Coeur d’Alene because business members can pick up colleagues from Kalispell or Missoula, Montana, for example, and have a “moving meeting” while on the plane to their destination. They can have a completely productive day and be back home in time for dinner.

Delavan said there’s still an increase in tourism in the summer, but the change to more corporate flyers began in the early 2000’s with Harpers, a furniture manufacturer that was once in Post Falls, and also with Black Rock, a high-end golfing community.

Now, businesses such as ATC Manufacturing and Empire Airlines, both of which are based at the airport, hold court. ATC Manufacturing makes aircraft components particularly for Boeing. Empire Airlines has a dispatch for FedEx packages being shipped to northern Idaho, Canada and Alaska. Empire Airlines also assists startup airlines in California, Colorado, Hawaii and even Europe, according to their website. Lastly, North Idaho College is considering reinstating a flight school at the airport.

“Those are good jobs — jobs for our kids. [It’s a] good clean industry to work with,” Delavan said. “We estimate $150 million economic benefit as a result of having this airport here, and a lot of that comes from these jobs.”

Sandpoint Airport on the Industry Map

At the Sandpoint Airport, the tourism business was good until the recession hit in 2008 and 2009. It has steadily increased since, and its numbers have surpassed those from the recession, manager David Schuck said.

“We saw a drop off in ’09, and it has picked up steadily in the last three years,” he said. “It increases on average 2 to 3 percent per year.”

In addition to the return of tourism, there are a number of businesses in and around the airport generating revenue. Life Flight, an air ambulance service, and Timberline Helicopters, Inc., which provides services to the logging industry, are based at the airport. He estimated that Life Flight alone likely generates $1 million in business.

Quest Aircraft and Tamarack Aerospace are businesses that specifically focus on the aerospace industry. Quest Aircraft designed the KODIAK aircraft that addresses agility in its landing capabilities. Quest was recently acquired by Japanese company, Setouchi Holdings, Inc. Tamarack Aerospace designs aerodynamic and structural aircraft components.

Karl Dye, former executive director of the Bonner County Economic Development Corporation, credits Quest Aircraft for creating more jobs and business growth in Sandpoint.

“Quest Aircraft had such an investment in the community — because they were not only designing the KODIAK, they were also manufacturing,” he said. “From an employment point of view, they really put Sandpoint on the map.”

Businesses in the industry not only create jobs but support other businesses by using their manufacturing services.

“As far as the economic impact from our airport, we’re probably one of the leading airports in the state because there are so many jobs performed at the airport,” he said.

The Expanding Aerospace Industry

Dye is currently director of Idaho PTECH (Pathways to Technology in Early College High School) where he assists in creating the workforce the aerospace industry needs with students preparing for the field. PTECH has an aerospace, technology and health care division.

“We’re focused on connecting Idaho kids with college degrees and certificates that are aligned with high-paying jobs in Idaho,” he said.

To further prepare students for aerospace jobs, North Idaho College created an Aerospace Division in 2013 with a $2.97 million grant from the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community and College and Career Training Initiative to attract students and future workers in the industry. The department is located at the Coeur d’Alene Airport and offers an associate degree and certificates in aircraft manufacturing and maintenance.

In response to the growing aerospace industry, the Idaho Aerospace Alliance was formed in 2011 to unite businesses in northern Idaho. Jim Glenn, president of Titan Spring, Inc. said the alliance was created with the help of Idaho’s Department of Labor which conducted a study back in 2011 to identify the presence of the aerospace industry and its needs.

“As we discovered more and more companies statewide, it was obvious they were all operating independently of one another in most cases not knowing what the other did,” he said. He is also president of the alliance.

As with many businesses and residents, the industry is here likely because of the region’s beauty and natural friendliness. In addition, local industry and government representatives have enticed businesses to come or stay in northern Idaho with several financial programs such as tax incentives, a sales tax exemption and a tax reimbursement incentive as ways to create and expand good-paying jobs in the area.

The Future of the Airports

For the Sandpoint and Coeur d’Alene airports, both are making preparations to meet the demands of their customers. Sandpoint Airport will refurbish its runway. It’s a temporary fix until it can be rebuilt in 2019 with impending funds from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“To rebuild the runway will cost $26 million, and those funds are ordinarily paid for by funding from the FAA, and they get that from passenger fees and aviation fuel taxes,” Schuck said.

Similarly, the Coeur d’Alene Airport is planning their future. Delevan said there is property slated for acquisition when necessary. Right now, there’s a lot of potential, but they will proceed caution.

“I don’t want people to think that we’re going to attempt to compete with the Spokane Airport. That’s not viable. … But there’s demand for a flight from Boise to Coeur d’Alene. We could have a commuter flight Boise to Coeur d’Alene and maybe to Seattle,” he said. “That’s not entirely up to us, but someone with an airline that wants to do that.”

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