Hangar floors, aprons and the taxilanes that connect them are the work that brings owners to Las Cruces International Airport, and it is work we plan around the airport's own operations. The airport is city-owned, sits nine miles west of the central business district, and has three runways: 04/22 at 7,501 by 106 feet, 08/26 at 6,069 by 100 feet and 12/30 at 7,506 by 100 feet. Anything we build on the airside has to fit within that active field.
The airport is also a base for aviation and aerospace tenants. It has two fixed-base operators, hosts New Mexico State University flight activity, and is home to an Army National Guard aviation company operating four UH-72 Lakota helicopters. A November 2021 report on the airport's master plan update says aerospace is a new focus, with phased immediate, 5-year and 10-year improvements, and that the city hopes to extend two runways to 8,600 feet and 10,500 feet.
For an owner, the practical meaning is that demand for hangars, shops and light-industrial space beside the field is likely to keep growing, and the ground to serve it needs utilities, drainage and access. We build the aircraft hangars, the aprons and the support buildings, and we coordinate the construction schedule with the airport operator so that work does not interrupt flight operations.
Airside work has rules that landside work does not. We coordinate haul routes, equipment heights and working hours with the airport operator, stay clear of runway and taxiway safety areas, and keep tools, debris and vehicles from straying onto movement areas. A safety plan for airfield work is written before mobilization, and every person on the crew is briefed on it.
The building itself is governed by the 2021 New Mexico Commercial Building Code (14.7.2 NMAC), which adopts the 2021 International Building Code as amended and took effect July 14, 2023. A hangar has its own occupancy and fire suppression requirements inside that code, and we involve the fire protection designer early. Large door openings, fuel storage and fire suppression for aircraft are the items that drive cost, so we price them as separate lines.
A March 2021 report describes utilities, lighting and taxiways being extended on the airport's east side to support hangar development, five miles of eight-foot perimeter fence completed in October 2020, and an inventory of 40 box hangars and about a dozen T-hangars. Those figures tell us what the market has been buying: small individual hangars for owners with one or two aircraft.
We build that scale and larger. A box hangar is a steel shell with a heavy slab, a wide bi-fold or hydraulic door and electrical service. A larger clear-span hangar for a maintenance operation adds foundations for the door track, overhead cranes if needed, a shop area, and an office. We also build high-bay buildings ready for cranes for operators who need to lift engines or airframe components, and aerospace suppliers in advanced manufacturing often ask for the same hangar-style bay for component work.
The pavement between a hangar and a taxiway carries aircraft loads, and it needs a design that matches the aircraft that will use it. We build concrete aprons with jointing and thickness set by the engineer, asphalt where the design allows, and the base layers underneath. The site grading trade partners shape the ground so water leaves the apron and the hangar floor sits above the drainage path.
Utilities extended to new hangar sites need coordination with the airport and the serving utilities. Power, water for fire protection, communications and sewer each have their own owner and review. We prepare a combined utility plan and submit it as a package, which saves weeks compared with separate submittals.
Airports are secured places, and a construction site inside the fence adds a second layer. We register the crew, escort deliveries when required, and keep a log of who enters. Construction fencing and gates are laid out so that they do not conflict with the airport perimeter, and lighting is chosen so it does not interfere with pilots.
Our fencing and security integration team can also design the permanent fence and access control for a new hangar lot. Owners who store high-value aircraft or equipment often want camera coverage and controlled gates, and we install the conduit during the civil package so it is in place before paving.
The City of Las Cruces Innovation and Industrial Park sits at the junction of I-10 and I-25, adjacent to the airport, with 400+ acres shovel ready, and the park is covered by Foreign Trade Zone 197. The airport report notes that the field sits next to an industrial park, and Interstate 10 Exit 132 serves Las Cruces and the airport. That combination of runway, interstate and zone is unusual in the county.
We build for owners who want the combination: a manufacturing or maintenance building in the park with access to the airfield, or a hangar and a warehouse on the same parcel. Foreign trade zone status affects how goods are handled and recorded, so we suggest speaking with a customs adviser early. We then lay out the dock and yard to the process they describe, and we compare the site with Arrowhead Park and the Dona Ana County Jetport so you can decide where your operation fits best.
Send us the aircraft types, the lot location and the use of the building. We will return a hangar layout, an airside work plan and a budget range, and we will coordinate with the airport operator from the start.
Yes. We start with the wingspan, tail height and tow path, then set the door opening, clear height and slab design to match. We also check the fire suppression requirement for the size and use of the hangar, which can change the cost significantly. Send us the aircraft types and we will return a layout.
We agree on the schedule, haul routes and equipment heights with the airport operator before mobilizing. Work near movement areas is planned in phases, with closures requested in advance. Every worker is briefed on airfield safety, and we keep the site clear of loose materials that could blow onto the field.
The park is described as having 400+ acres shovel ready and is covered by Foreign Trade Zone 197, and it sits at the I-10 and I-25 junction. That makes it suitable for logistics and light manufacturing, as well as for businesses that need field access. We can compare it with other sites in the county on cost and schedule.
Plans described in the master plan report are only plans, and we do not design around them as if they were funded. We can lay out a lot so that it has the setbacks and access it needs today and leaves room for the future, and we advise you to confirm the plan status with the airport.
A hangar costs more per square foot because of the door, the slab, the fire protection and the electrical load. The shell itself is similar. We price those items separately so that you can see what a smaller door or a different fire suppression approach would save.