The Gary / Chicago International Airport announced the acquisition of a parcel of land adjacent to the airport’s existing land holdings.
The $925,000 acquisition of a 4.7-acre parcel was financed by bond proceeds from the airport’s recent $16.55 million bond sale. The acquisition provides additional land for Phase II of the airport’s plan to expand its cargo service offerings. The airport now owns 60 acres planned for air cargo operations.
Construction is currently underway on Phase I. The airport is creating new cargo infrastructure to accommodate an additional eight cargo airplanes operating out of the airport concurrently.
“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,” said Dan Vicari, airport executive director, in a press release.
Gary / Chicago International Airport has seen extensive growth since 2015. The airport now has the second longest runway in the Region after O’Hare International Airport. This expansion has allowed the airport to service larger, heavier aircraft.
The airport opened its U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility in 2018, allowing air travelers from any international destination to frequent the airport without needing to clear customs elsewhere.
In 2020, Gary / Chicago International Airport began cargo service operations via UPS. It now ranks 3rd in Indiana for its freight volume. In late 2023, the airport acquired Griffith-Merrillville Airport.
2024 saw multiple milestones reached. The airport unveiled its new website and broke ground on a new $12 million, 47,000 square foot aviation hangar and Phase 1 of the cargo services infrastructure investment. The Federal Aviation Administration also awarded the airport a $1.7 million grant to design and engineer a new airport traffic control tower.
