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| By Carmelo Turdo |
Sandra Shore recently marked her fourth anniversary as the Director of St. Louis Downtown Airport. During her time as the airport director, she has presided over a time of significant progress while navigating the current turbulence in the aviation industry. New construction can be seen across the airport, while improvements to infrastructure are also underway. Aviation service businesses continue to grow and increase their economic impact to the region. Long-range projects, with their temporary inconveniences, are moving forward as the allocated resources become available.
Shore leads a small administrative staff along with the airport maintenance and firefighting personnel who provide daily support services to airport tenants and visitors. The airport is an enterprise of Bi-State Development, whose reach covers the City of St. Louis, six surrounding counties and iconic multi-modal resources including Metro Transit, the St. Louis Regional Freightway. the Eads Bridge, City/Arch/River development and recreational transportation surrounding the Gateway Arch.
Previously, Shore was the Director of Quincy, IL Regional Airport, the 2019 Illinois Primary Airport of the Year, and before that Manager of the Floyd W. Jones Airport in Lebanon, MO. She is a graduate of the SIU-Carbondale Aviation Management Program and holds several AAAE credentials including Airport Accredited Executive. She has a passion for airport development that has a direct positive impact on the community.
St. Louis Downtown Airport has experienced significant investment for current and future infrastructure improvements. Gateway Jets, an aircraft management company, has completed construction of a new hangar and adjoining apron to better serve their growing clientele. Gulfstream Aerospace expanded their completions center, now employing over 700 skilled workers. The Taxiway Bravo reconstruction project is underway, and replacement of the main terminal building is scheduled to start later this year. Preservation and reutilization of the historic Curtiss-Wright hangars on the west apron have begun, and a self-serve fuel farm is completed and awaiting final inspection. Jet Aviation, the airport's FBO, will continue to offer their services, including team charter operations, throughout the current construction period.
The Aero Experience visited with Sandra Shore on in May after she passed the four-year mark as St. Louis Downtown Airport Director to get an update since our first interview just a month into her tenure. Since then, she has built a record of accomplishments and set a course for the future of the airport. Topics covered in the accompanying video include:
Regional Cooperation Among St. Louis-Metro East Area Airport Directors
Airport Business Growth and Infrastructure Improvements
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And Airport Tenant Activities
