Airport, Allegiant break ground on $24 million training center

The Sanford International Airport with Allegiant and Airports Worldwide broke ground Thursday on Allegiant’s East Coast Training Center that will train employees for the airline. 

The 43,000 square-foot facility will be located on property adjacent to the airport, across the street from where the Vigilante stands. The facility will cost $24 million to build with Spolski Construction completing the project. 

The training center will have the capacity to train 150 pilots, 500 flight attendants and 100 mechanics annually. The center will have a full range of flight simulators, cabin trainers and classroom resources for A320 and MD80 aircraft. At the tallest part it will be five stories high. 

Thirty local full-time instructors and support staff will operate the facility. 

Allegiant began flying out of the Sanford airport in 2005 with five destinations and two planes. By December of this year Allegiant will operate 20 planes with 71 destinations across the country.  

To celebrate the ground-breaking Thursday Congressman John Mica and Florida Lieutenant Governor Carlos Lopez-Cantera along with local dignitaries joined Airport President Diane Crews, Airports Worldwide President Larry Gouldthorpe and Allegiant CEO Maury Gallagher. 

“Things are heating up here at the airport,” said Gouldthorpe. “It [the center] will be a big presence on this site.”

The center is slated to be complete as soon as next spring. 

Gallagher said Allegiant plans to work with city and county government to help with economic development in the area. With the new sports complex right down the street, he said, there were many opportunities for partnerships. 

“This has been an ultimate win-win for us” he said. 

Mica commented on the growth he has seen at the airport and complimented staff for their dedication to keep the airport prosperous. 

“Who would have thought that when there were weeds growing up through the runway that this would become what it is today,” said Mica. 

Crews and Sanford Airport Authority Chairman Frank Ioppolo called Allegiant “the true American success story” and thanked them for choosing the Sanford Airport for the new facility.  In the past year the Sanford International Airport was the fourth busiest airport in the State of Florida and 29th busiest in the United States. For the past two years the airport has been named the fastest growing airport in the country.