Construction of a new General Aviation Terminal at Ocala International Airport is on track for completion at the end of this year.
During a presentation to the Ocala Chamber and Economic Partnership on April 17, City Manager John Zobler indicated that the 7,000-square-foot terminal is on pace to open by December.
According to Zobler, although there is a $7 million price tag associated with the construction of the terminal, about 90 percent of the bill is being paid for by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Florida Department of Transportation.
“That’s your federal tax dollars coming back to Ocala,” added Zobler.
Zobler also took the opportunity to talk about the importance of the airport to the local economy and its growth in the past 10 years, citing fuel sold and operations (i.e., takeoffs and landings) over that time.
“OIA now sells more than 800,000 gallons of fuel a year,” said Zobler, adding that it hadn’t seen those levels since 2006. This year’s operations have reached levels that are higher than they have been over the last six years and are on pace to exceed last year’s operations by 20 percent.
“We have broken all records for landings and takeoffs at the airport. The airport has 101 hangars for rent. They have been at 100% occupancy for a year, and there’s a long waiting list,” Zobler said.
Check back as we draw closer to the opening of the new General Aviation Terminal in the coming months for updates and further information. To read more about the Ocala International Airport, its history and its services, click here.