By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — General aviation pilots will have access to a self-serve refueling station at the Warsaw Municipal airport by the end of the year.
Airport Manager Nick King said they’ve been working on establishing the service for several years and are moving forward now that they have the needed permits from the state.
The change will allow pilots to use the service 24/7 but will be especially beneficial to those seeking to use it after 7 p.m. when airport staff heads home.
“It will allow us to permanently expand our refueling hours for general aviation,” King said.
“When our last guy goes home, people will be able to pull up just like you do at a gas station and use your credit card and fill your aircraft,” he said.
Self serve is one of the most requested changes sought by pilots over the years, he said.
King said it’s difficult to determine how much the new service might boost revenue but sid he thinks it could catch on and take off.
“I genuinely don’t know how much more of an increased volume we will see with those fuel sales, but it will be fun to watch that as it happens,” he said.
The cost to install the equipment for the service is expected to range from $75,000 and $150,000, and King estimated it will take five to seven years to recoup the cost.
The service won’t be available to pilots who require jet fuel, but the airport will continue to accommodate them with the traditional after-hours service, King said.
Construction is expected to happen this summer. They hope to have the new service ready to go later this year.
On a related note, King said they continue to see fuel sales return to normal after a slow recovery from the pandemic. He said fuel sales at the airport rose about 6 percent over the past year.
