Gary Airport acquires land for cargo service expansion
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Gary/Chicago International Airport has acquired nearly five acres of land adjacent to its existing holdings as it moves forward in the next phase of its effort to expand cargo service.
The $925,000 purchase of the parcel was financed from the airport’s recent $16.5 million bond sale announced in March. The bond sale is expected to help fund a host of capital improvement projects, including the construction of new hangars, renovations to the airport terminal and an expanded cargo and logistics center.
“This is a long-planned and important acquisition and a critical step in the future expansion of our cargo aviation offerings, which continue to grow at an impressive rate,” Executive Director Dan Vicari said in a news release. “This acquisition will complement the next phase of our cargo services expansion, as we are already well underway with our initial expansion that we announced late last year and continue to position the airport for future growth and development.”
In October 2024, the airport broke ground on the first phase of its expansion, $24 million in infrastructure improvements. Projects include the installation of a fuel pipeline, a new sewer system and a new cargo logistics apron to accommodate eight more air cargo planes.
With the acquisition announced Wednesday, the airport now has 60 acres planned for cargo operations.
In the past year, the airport also began work on a $12 million hangar that will be leased to Valparaiso-based Wingtip Aviation and received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration for its $16.4 million plan to replace its air traffic control tower. The airport also agreed to a long-term extension with UPS.
The airport now ranks third in the state in freight volume, the news release said.