[The following story was published by WTAJ-TV on January 3, 2025]
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WTAJ) — The John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport applied for a state grant to help fund a $30 million project.
The grant worth $5.7 million will go towards constructing a new hangar and aviation innovation center on the east side of the airport. The idea is to pioneer modern aviation trends into our area.
“We know in aviation that drone technology is coming, and we want to be on the forefront of that, embrace it, and be prepared for it,” Cory Cree, the manager of the Johnstown Airport said. “That’s why we want to create the innovation center.”
If the grant is approved, the airport said it will take around 18 months from start to finish. The hangar will have space for three different regional jets to dock, plus more room for other activities.
“There’ll be, a lot of unused space on the sides in the back of the hangar from the slope of the roof,” Cree added. “So, we want to utilize that unused space with additional office and conference room space. Then, the people that could use, that are various industry professionals, to develop different types of drone technology that is coming. I could be both unmanned electric aircrafts. It could be your traditional drones.”
Funding for the project has been scarce, so they looked to multiple sources to put forth the money in phases. Cree received help from the Cameron Hills Development Group to get a $1.5 million market grant toward the hangar shell building, but he also had federal grants as well to help him fund the first phase of the project.
“We have some funding lined up for that already with Congressman Dr. John Joyce (R – 13th),” Cree said. “We were able to secure $4,000,050 in federal funding for the construction of the hangar.”
Once the project is complete, Cree expects to see some development in the area, especially on the rural side. Some of the benefits include careers in an industry struggling to get positions filled for better health care.
“The Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission will be developing and placing sensors throughout the county to prove proof of concept for rural health care delivery via drones,’ Cree said. “By having that here in Cambria County, that’s going to spur innovation.”
Due to the idea of providing that innovation, it can raise the value of the area.
“We anticipate they’ll want to relocate here to be able to develop their drone concepts in their field and then to present the industry,” Cree said. “We thin this is just the beginning of the economic development here at the airport with this project.”
The airport will know within three months if they have enough grant money to move to the next phase of planning.
