Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, has secured $4.5 million in capital project funding for Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in the state of Illinois’ 2026 budget that was signed by Gov. JB Pritzker last week. These funds are dedicated for airport capital improvements
including aircraft maintenance and flight training facility development.
Over the past decade, the Springfield Airport Authority has made significant investments
throughout the entire 2,400-acre complex. The SAA has been preserving and modernizing airfield
and landside infrastructure and has completed substantial renovations
and upgrades to its corporate and general aviation
facilities, airport public safety facilities and the main passenger
terminal complex.
“Senator Doris Turner is to be commended for her efforts in securing funds that will significantly support the Authority’s never-ending commitment to further develop the facilities at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport," said Frank Vala, SAA chair. "It is clear that Sen. Turner recognizes the recent efforts and investments that have been made locally and it is meaningful that she understands the investments being made directly support the entire region as the airport is home to numerous jobs and is a catalyst for economic growth in the community."
Recently,
the SAA has been making significant improvements to StandardAero,
the major overhaul and aircraft repair station located in the airport’s
north quadrant. StandardAero
employs approximately 200 highly skilled and trained technicians,
engineers and support staff and services aircraft from around the
globe at its Springfield plant.
Significant work has already
been completed to improve some of the original hangars,
and more work is planned to upgrade and modernize the aircraft painting
facility, engineering and support areas and the main aircraft
maintenance bays. StandardAero enjoys a harmonious relationship with
LRS’s Aviation Maintenance Training Center located at
Lincoln Land Community College’s classroom and hangar facility at the
airport. The upgrades to the existing facilities have the potential to
support the expansion of StandardAero’s location in Springfield.
Additionally, the SAA has been working
to attract a pilot training program in recent years. Significant
improvements are underway to accommodate a flight training program at
Stellar Aviation’s corporate and general aviation terminal complex in
the airport’s east quadrant. These developments have
been precipitated by the nationwide pilot shortage and the forecasted
scarcity of aviation maintenance technicians.
“The Authority has set the table for aviation workforce training and economic growth at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport," said Vala. "It is important to realize that Sen. Turner and other public and private stakeholders have recognized our progress and are now making real commitments and contributions to support these initiatives to advance workforce training and economic development in the Springfield area.”
Turner has also recently supported Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport’s effort to further prepare property in the future Airport Commerce Park located in the airport’s south quadrant. It was recently awarded funding through Illinois’ Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Regional Site Readiness Planning Program to complete mapping and layouts for the commerce park to satisfy information requests from site development selectors and to complete the necessary preliminary drainage planning for the site. Additionally, the future Airport Commerce Park was recently approved to be included in Intersect Illinois Vetted Sites Program, which provides site and infrastructure data to support fast-moving development projects throughout Illinois.
