Airport Initiative to Bring More Business and Jobs

June 2008

The Pennsylvania Highlands Regional Aerospace Alliance, brings together the existing aerospace related businesses in the Johnstown area to create a resource that will ultimately attract additional aerospace business, particularly manufacturers.

The cornerstone in the alliance is the John Murtha Johnstown - Cambria County Airport. The airport has a 7003 foot long by 150 foot wide concrete runway designed to allow use by large aircraft. The runway is undergoing a $17 million upgrade to enable it to be used by very large aircraft. This upgrade is expected to be completed by mid-spring. The airport also has a newly built terminal, and an $8.6 million high-tech digital radar system, which is the centerpiece for a world-class air-traffic control facility for the nearby Pennsylvania Air National Guard. The surrounding land is already built with upgraded utilities, roads and support buildings to make way for additional development. The airport has the entire infrastructure that is required.

Airport authority members liked the idea of the Alliance. Member Charles Moyer of Ebensburg said the forward-thinking approach was what the authority was looking for when it chose MTT to replace Air East as the airport's fixed-base operator in 2006. "It shows you are not satisfied with the status quo," Moyer said. "That's what we like to see." The authority wants to see more development, member Ed Cernic Sr. said, making a motion for the authority to join the proposed organization. The motion passed unanimously. "You have your first member," Chairman Raymond Porsch said.

Another economic development leader sees potential at the airport. Johnstown Area Regional Industries will join the new effort, said Linda Thomson, chief executive officer.
"We pledged to work with the airport authority and MTT to help in any way possible," she said.

In addition to MTT Aviation Services, businesses such as DRS Laurel Technologies, Lockheed Martin and L. Robert Kimball have signed on as members supporting this initiative.