The Gary / Chicago International Airport is taking back the facility’s management and operational responsibilities.
The move is part of a previously announced management restructuring. GCIA will re-assume the management, operations, and development of the airport from Avports and AFCO, representatives said.
The restructuring is supported by the work of Avports and AFCO, who entered into agreements to assist the airport in evolving a broader range of aviation-related offerings, which included Avports instituting best practices in airport management and sharing its insights on leveraging GYY’s locational attributes.
“We are pleased to be able to exit these agreements with much more robust aviation-centric infrastructure, operations and facilities in place, allowing GCIA to strongly position itself for the coming years,” said Pete Visclosky, GCIA Board Authority chairman. “Years of sustained growth and investment by public and private entities alike have created strong momentum allowing the airport to move towards its long-standing objective of a locally sustainable airport, and we thank both Avports and AFCO for their contributions over the past few years to our continued success.”
In the past decade, GCIA has experienced significant growth and investment.
In 2015, the airport’s main runway was expanded to nearly 9,000 feet in length and is now the area’s second longest after Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. This allows the airport to service aircraft up to and including a 777, one of the world's largest aircrafts.
In 2018, U.S. Customs Facility opened, allowing air travelers to access the airport without needing to clear customs at another location. Further enhancements have included multiple new terminals and hangers for GCIA’s fixed-base-operators, and in 2020 cargo giant United Parcel Service began service operations at the airport.
In early 2022, the airport completed a multi-year effort to update its master plan, which will assist GCIA and its board in guiding the next 20 to 25 years of airport development and aviation growth.
