This article was published by The Telegraph on August 28, 2024.
Several hundred people came to West Star Aviation in Bethalto on Tuesday for the grand opening of a new 40,000-square-foot hangar. In addition, the company held a graduation ceremony for the first 23-person class of its West Star Aviation Academy, a program to build the skills needed for its workforce.
The ceremonies were held in the new hangar, with three Gulfstream jets already in the facility, located at St. Louis Regional Airport. While located in Bethalto, it has an East Alton mailing address.
“I think it’s really fitting that we’re graduating our first group of students at the same time we’re opening this hangar,” said Jim Rankin, executive chairman and former CEO of West Star. “The hangar is a tangible sign of growth for the company, but at the end of the day, it is the people inside the hangar who will make it successful.”
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