U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith have secured $7.5 million in federal funding for a new cargo hangar at the Thief River Falls Regional Airport. Klobuchar and Smith announced the funding on Friday, March 25 at a ceremony at the airport.
“Tina and I really felt like we knew what was needed out here and how important this project is, and how important it is with the geographic location and also all of the weather issues,” Klobuchar said.
The new cargo hangar will provide an indoor space at the airport for maintenance and loading and unloading operations, with the ability to fit two planes. One of the main reasons for the new hangar is to provide a safe, warm space for maintenance and work at the airport. With a temperature of 25 degrees and wind gust of 35 miles per hour outside the hangar, Friday’s blustery conditions served as an example of the conditions technicians often endure when working outdoors.
“Especially today, it is a good thing to be able to do some of this work indoors, not only outdoors,” Smith said.