International Aerospace Coatings (IAC) broke ground Tuesday, Sept. 2, on a $27 million widebody aircraft hangar at Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport, marking another major investment in Amarillo’s growing aerospace industry.
The 74,920-square-foot hangar will be capable of servicing all commercial aircraft up to a Boeing 777-X and is expected to open by September 2026. It will be IAC’s sixth hangar in Amarillo and second designed for widebody jets, boosting the company’s local capacity by nearly one-third.
“We’ve been in Amarillo for more than 30 years with five hangars, and this is a brilliant step forward,” said Martin O’Connell, CEO of IAC. “This new facility adds 65 steady-paying jobs to the 135 we already have and makes Amarillo even more attractive for other aviation companies looking to grow.”
O’Connell said customer demand made the expansion essential.
“We serve all the major airlines and OEMs throughout the U.S. and Europe — United, American, Southwest, Alaska, Boeing, and many more,” he said. “What we’ve heard from them again and again is, ‘We’d love to do more with you, but you don’t have the space.’ This project answers that need, and the interest we’re already seeing shows how critical it was.”
Geography also played a role.
“Amarillo works so well — you’re central in the country, and customers like coming here,” O’Connell said. “As we announce this new hangar, they’re already asking, ‘When can we get on the schedule?’ Because it’s brand new, state-of-the-art, and designed to deliver at the highest level.”
The hangar will feature a wastewater treatment system, hazardous paint mixing and storage rooms, a 75-horsepower oil-free air compressor paired with a 2,000-gallon air receiver tank, and upgraded 3,000-AMP electrical service. A 5,000-square-foot storage building will be built alongside the main facility. A modern ventilation system will provide three-and-a-half air changes per hour, ensuring a safe and efficient environment for crews.
O’Connell said these upgrades will allow IAC to deliver faster and more efficient turnaround times.
“On a 737, we can strip it to bare metal, repaint it, and roll it out in about seven or eight days,” he said. “On a widebody like a 777, maybe 10 to 11 days. We’ll be running this hangar 365 days a year. For our customers, brand matters. They want to see their aircraft looking like new — and that’s what we do.”
Doug Nelson, interim president and CEO of the Amarillo Economic Development Corporation, said the project reflects Amarillo’s growing pull for major aerospace companies.
“These are high-paying, high-skilled jobs,” Nelson said. “Aircraft are flying into Amarillo from across the country and the world, staying here for weeks, and leaving looking brand new. That traffic, that spending, that workforce impact — it’s tremendous for our community.”
He said IAC’s decision to expand here rather than at other locations worldwide underscores Amarillo’s competitiveness.
“IAC weighed this against other sites,” Nelson said. “Our workforce, our cost of living, and our proven track record made Amarillo the clear choice. When a global company like IAC doubles down on Amarillo, it sends a signal to the industry that this is a place worth investing in.”
The Amarillo City Council approved a 50-year lease agreement for the project, along with an incentive package that includes up to $700,000 in job creation funding and a phased property tax abatement. IAC will pay $42,893 in annual rent, rising to $47,431 in 2027.
Nelson said those public investments are designed to yield long-term returns.
“They’re investing dollars in Amarillo,” he said. “That strengthens local governments and creates opportunities for citizens. Manufacturing jobs have ripple effects — employees live and spend here, vendors supply locally, and that money stays in the economy.”
IAC operates 19 hangars across 10 locations in the U.S. and Europe, including Spokane, Portland, Victorville, Fort Worth, and Amarillo in the U.S. In Europe, the company recently announced a widebody expansion in Spain. Together, its facilities complete more than 800 paint events annually.
O’Connell said the Amarillo expansion won’t be the last.
“Truthfully, it won’t be long before this hangar is at full capacity,” he said. “When that happens, we’ll need to start thinking about the next phase. But it’s thanks to the support of the airport authority, the AEDC, and the Chamber that we’re even here today — they saw the value and acted to make this happen.”
With Bell, Albers Aerospace, and other firms already growing in Amarillo, Nelson said the city is building a critical mass in aerospace.
“Each new expansion compounds the opportunity,” Nelson said. “We’ve turned a corner. Companies are looking at Amarillo, and for good reason. It’s a great workforce, a great place to live, and a community that wants to grow.”
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: IAC breaks ground on $27M widebody aircraft hangar in Amarillo
Reporting by Michael Cuviello, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
