ROTAK Helicopter Services Begins Maintenance Operations at Southwest Oregon Regional Airport

Southwest Oregon Regional Airport started the week with a new chapter as ROTAK Helicopter Services began maintenance and repair operations out of the corporate hangar, the Coos County Airport District reported on Thursday.

The Alaska-based company performs heavy lift operations, including wildfire suppression, utility work, disaster relief, and mineral exploration. Transported by a truck after a five-hour journey that day, the initial helicopter reached the location during the first week of November. A crane hoisted the aircraft off the transport vehicle prior to placing it inside the 33,000-square-foot corporate hangar owned by the Airport District.

These aircraft touchdowns signify a major achievement for the Coos County Airport District, activating the hangar as a specialized maintenance hub and reinforcing the airport’s position as a South Coast aviation industry focal point. More than ten years have passed since the building of the hangar finished, following the total destruction of the original wooden WWII hangar in a blaze.

Businesses such as ROTAK help diversify airport revenue and support the facilities and infrastructure that commercial flights, general aviation, and other airport users depend on. Providing approximately $153,000 in annual income, the five-year lease was formally entered into by ROTAK. It will also use the FBO to refuel the helicopters.

During the peak of the maintenance season, ROTAK will have several employees working in the facility. This operational activity marks the ongoing progression for the airport as it converts its facilities into enduring regional opportunities. Since the completion of the building, this agreement represents the initial instance of it being rented out exclusively to one enterprise.

Prior to reviewing the agreement, the CCAD Board of Commissioners sanctioned an incentive initiative designed to promote hangar construction for both private hangar seekers and aircraft owners who were displaced by this lease.

Details are available by contacting the airport district office at (541) 756-8531 or emailing [email protected].