Hoosier Aviation takes flight

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - There is new life for Terre Haute International Airport, as a private company takes over operations for the first time in over a decade.

Step through the doors of Terre Haute International Airport and it might surprise you, there have been some changes.

But what you may not know is the most important change came from the Browns, Jordan and Nicole.

"When we started Hoosier Aviation, it’s always been a passion for flying with us. My husband, he started flying when he was 14 and its just built from there. Our first date he flew me to Eagle creek (airport),” Nicole Brown said of how she and her husband got started in aviation.

The two started Hoosier Aviation last year, when they won the leasing rights for a section of the terminal at the airport as well as the fueling operation.

"We actually took over operation on the 28th of October. We immediately started into the remodeling of this section of the facility because it was in bad need of a facelift,” Jordan Brown said.

While adding a pilot's lounge and rest and relaxation areas may make the airport look nicer, but more importantly they hope to attract a certain type of business.

"There’s lots of air traffic flying from east or west coast and they can’t make it all the way and they stop places for fuel, its what they call a quick turn. They want fuel, restroom, a break and then they are right back out again,” Jordan said.

The exposure Hoosier Aviation got during the super bowl week, could help make Terre Haute a prime pit-stop for private and corporate jets across the country.

"You have people coming in and they truly appreciate it because they saw what it was before and what it is now and what the rest of the airport going to be and they say man we cant wait to come back here. The service was great we had a wonderful time,” Nicole said.

That's how Hoosier Aviation plans to build up business for Indiana's third largest airport.

"We're in the service industry and we fully realize that and our whole goal is to be superior in service so that those aircraft and those companies want to come back to Hoosier Aviation," Nicole ended saying.

Hoping they can bring Terre Haute back to the forefront of Hoosier flying.