CHICO — Chris Niemann isn’t the sort of person you’d expect to hear say, “I’m intimidated.” He’s a Marine Corps veteran and graduate of the naval air school known as Top Gun who currently serves as general manager of AeroFlite, a 60-year firm at the forefront of firefighting aviation.
Yet, Wednesday morning, gazing around the cavernous hangar his company now occupies at Chico Regional Airport, he told some 60 community members and employees that he found the space daunting.
“It’s intimidating looking into an empty hangar and figuring out how to make it a vibrant place to work,” Niemann said at a ribbon-cutting hosted by city officials. “We think it’s a great move forward for us.”
The Chico Airport Commission in January signed off on a five-year lease that, with extensions, could run 15 years for the facility at 77 Piper Ave., in the block north of the airport terminal. The agreement also includes an option to purchase a parcel south of the terminal should the city decide to sell. Just since embarking on expansion, Niemann said, Spokane-based AeroFlite has grown from 170 employees to 213.
“I think it really bolsters the local economy,” Erik Gustafson, the Public Works director who oversees airport operations, said after the ceremony. “They have a very impressive fleet of both amphibious and land-based aircraft, and they’re going to be supporting that fleet from this facility. That’s highly skilled workers in the aviation industry; we love to see those jobs come and grow in Chico. They have a training augment, too, where they have a large component of not only their pilots but pilots from other organizations, too.
“We’re really excited to have them here — not only an active tenant but a very expansive, intensive use of the facility here — with hopes that they grow their business.”
AeroFlite already had roots before choosing Chico as the place to expand from Washington state into California. Working with Cal Fire’s airbase in the north state, the firm landed planes at the airport for fuel and servicing by Northgate Aviation. That led AeroFlite to conduct training here for the past four years; apropos of this, the upstairs section of the hangar features a room for virtual-reality scenarios.
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Among the locations the company considered was McClellan Airport in Sacramento. So, why Chico?
“It’s the community and the similarity to Spokane,” Niemann replied. “There’s a tie-in with the outdoors, with nature, with the things I know my employees already enjoy. It’s the comfort of being here of what the community has to offer.
“It’s relatively easy to get to. I know we don’t have air service (for commercial travel) here — but it’s easy to move people in and out, and we get great service.”
In his remarks welcoming AeroFlite, Mayor Andrew Coolidge addressed the prospect of a passenger carrier coming to Chico.
“I want those flights!” he told attendees — a group that included City Manager Mark Sorensen, Police Chief Billy Aldridge, Airport Commissioners Mike Antolock and Raul Hernandez, and field representatives from the offices of Congressman Doug LaMalfa and State Senator Brian Dahle.
“We’re working on it,” the mayor continued, “and this helps.”
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With Airport Manager Tom Bahr as the point person, the city is in discussions with two airlines and anticipates flights to Los Angeles commencing in late 2025 or early 2026. Niemann confirmed a point raised by Gustafson that AeroFlite would be a frequent flier on the commercial carrier as it repositions pilots — some 70 members of its workforce — around the country.
“The fit was right,” Gustafson recapped, “and we’re very glad AeroFlite chose Chico.”
There was only one small snafu: scissors. No one brought an oversized version typically used for cutting ceremonial ribbons, so Coolidge handed Niemann a pair of office shears. After a few clips, the ribbon glided to the tarmac.
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