Konect Aviation Oregon LLC will become manager of the McMinnville Municipal Airport. Current airport manager Graham Goad, who has been in the position for the last seven years, says he is “excited about the change, excited for a new focus.” The change will also allow him to focus on some of his other projects, and he believes it will be good for the airport.
Although the company has been in operation at the McMinnville Airport since 2009, Konect Aviation only recently became the Fixed-Base Operator (FBO), taking over for the previous operator, Cirrus Aviation, on Jan. 1. In addition to the scenic tours and charter service Konect Aviation already offered, their services now include fixed wing flight training, concierge services like travel information, aircraft catering and passenger car rentals, what Owner/General Manager Holly Nehls refers to as “red carpet jet service.” She says of the transition, “It’s been a lot of work and things are shaping up. The city has been shifting focus to support the airport, so Konect’s timing is great.” And shifting focus indeed. In 2017, the city will be renovating the airport’s main runway, 04-22 closing it down for work, potentially for the entire summer. Konect has decided that would be the perfect time to build a new FBO office and terminal building.
Nehls says, “Currently, the biggest challenge is keeping the forward movement.” The airport has over 100 acres of grounds and over 100 hangars that need to be maintained. But she hopes that after the completion of the runway renovation and the new building project, 2018 will be the airport’s “shining year.” By drawing in more air traffic, the airport will be able to bring more tourism business to the local community. The budding wine industry and Evergreen Museum are popular destinations, and by offering “exceptional service at more affordable rates than bigger airports,” Nehls hopes the airport can service more clientele.
By coming to the McMinnville Municipal Airport instead of bigger locations like Portland International Airport, aircraft can avoid high landing fees and expensive fuel. What does that mean for McMinnville? According to Nehls it means “they will be using our catering, our rental cars, our hotels, our restaurants, our shops. Connections with the community make those services a possibility, and our state-of-the-art instrument approach runway means we can support those bigger aircraft better than other rural airports.” Company Founder Ingo Nehls adds, “the transition is an expansion of [Konect’s] services. It’s important for the airport to be part of the community, supporting the community.”
The only thing left to do is to build an airport that can service those aircraft, Nehls believes, and she emphasizes that the airport isn’t trying to attract big commercial jets, but smaller, private & corporate aircraft. Konect Aviation is off to a good start, and air traffic is picking up for the season.
