A new north Texas public heliport is scheduled to open in December in DeSoto, southwest of Dallas.
The heliport will be located on 19 acres within an industrial park and "will elevate DeSoto as an economic and transportation center," said the DeSoto Economic Development Corp.
Construction began in March on the project, a joint effort of the DeSoto Economic Development Corp., the city of DeSoto, the Texas Department of Transportation’s aviation division, and SKY Helicopters, operator of the fixed-base operation at the Garland/DFW Heliport, located about 30 miles north of the DeSoto heliport site.
The new $5 million heliport’s location also "offers excellent road access from all parts of the North Texas area," said SKY Helicopters in a news release.
Facilities will include hangars for up to 50 helicopters, and more than an acre of concrete ramp area. Jet-A and 100LL avgas will be available 24 hours at self-serve fuel islands. Buildings with 12,000 square feet of terminal and office space, and heated hangars offering 25,000 square feet for maintenance and rental to tenants will be available. SKY Helicopters will have offices for training and commercial operations at the facility.
The heliport, which SKY Helicopters described as one of only a dozen stand-alone public-use heliports in the U.S., is expected to draw as its tenants businesses that provide flight instruction, emergency medical services, law enforcement operations, charter, energy-sector support, news, sports, and special events.
In 2013, SKY Helicopters was selected for the fourth time in its 21 years as one of the top 100 fastest growing private companies in the Dallas/Fort Worth area by Inc. Magazine.
