Melbourne International Airport (KMLB): Melbourne gives initial approval for MidairUSA hangars

Midair needs special permit for the hangars due to their height

City leaders gave their approval to a revamped plan that allows MidairUSA to build a 200,000 square foot hangar for its aircraft overhaul operations at Melbourne International Airport.

The City Council hosted a special meeting to review plan revisions that came after neighbors expressed concerns on how the project would impact their property. A final vote will take place Feb. 28.

Midair needs a special permit from the city because of the proposed height of the hangars.

Among the changes are:

— Turning the proposed hangar so its doors face away from neighborhoods

— Extending a berm to buffer homes located to the north of the property

— Moving jet parking and fuel tanks away from homes.

Midair has been overhauling Boeing 747s at a location 800 feet south of the proposed site since March when they moved started the Melbourne operations.

The project is expected to create more than 450 jobs, paying an average annual salary of $55,000. So far, Midair has 81 employees at Melbourne airport, only three of which were transferred from Midair’s Rome, N.Y. location.

http://www.floridatoday.com