Growth and development in the aviation sector remain strong around the Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport, highlighted by Monday’s groundbreaking of the Hunt PanAm Hangar at 414 Amelia Earhart Drive.
Aviation has long been a cornerstone of Brownsville’s economic development, and city leaders say new projects like the Hunt PanAm Hangar reinforce the city’s position as a growing center for aviation and aerospace activity.
“Aviation has long been a cornerstone of Brownsville’s economic development, and projects like the Hunt PanAm Hangar reinforce our position as a growing center for aviation and aerospace activity,” said Commissioner At-Large “A” Tino Villarreal Jr. “These new aircraft services continue to confirm that Brownsville is open for business and ready for collaboration.”
The decision to build a new hangar in Brownsville was driven by a strong spirit of cooperation between the City of Brownsville and Pat Kornegay, owner of Hunt PanAm. Kornegay credited this partnership for motivating the company’s continued investment in the area.
“It inspired us to continue our investment. We invested quite heavily in our fuel and infrastructure and our aviation and maintenance business, and now we are going to build a new hangar,” said Kornegay, noting that this new project is part of a long-term vision for Hunt PanAm’s presence at the airport.
Although Hunt PanAm already has a facility in Harlingen, space constraints limited the potential for expansion there. “Due to space constraints and the inability to expand in Harlingen to this date, being afforded the ability to invest in Brownsville and the opportunity to build more facilities here, we have really embraced this opportunity and look forward to continuing for many years,” Kornegay said.
The Hunt PanAm Hangar is expected to enhance the airport’s infrastructure, strengthen general aviation services, and support the airport’s ability to meet growing demand. City officials describe the project as a wise, strategic investment that complements the broader vision for the airport’s future.
“Having PanAm invest in a new hangar at the airport is extremely important. It simply demonstrates our current state of economic development as an airport. We have approximately 60 warehouses as tenants here, which indicates that the industry has confidence in Brownsville,” said City Manager Helen Ramirez, ICMA-CM, AICP.
Construction should begin soon and is expected to be completed in about four to six months.
The City of Brownsville and its partners continue to invest in projects that foster local opportunities, attract new businesses, and enhance the city’s reputation as a key player in the aviation and aerospace sectors.
