A 10,165 foot runway sets the rules for how we build next to it. Casper-Natrona County International Airport covers 5,150 acres at 5,344 feet, and its second runway runs 8,679 feet, so a crane, a tall steel frame or a temporary haul road near the field has to be planned with airport operations in mind. We build hangars, shops, warehouses, offices and site improvements on and beside the airport, and we plan each lift and each delivery around the people who keep the field running.
In 2022 the airport logged 43,126 operations, 71 percent of them general aviation, with 131 based aircraft. That mix explains the buildings that get built: hangars and maintenance space for general aviation, cargo handling for the daily FedEx Express flights, and business-park buildings for companies that want runway access or just want to be near it. United Express provides the scheduled passenger service, carrying 106,450 passengers on that route from June 2025 to May 2026.
The same airport is also a construction owner in its own right, with an air traffic control tower, a state helibase and a business park all in play. The region's original airfield, Wardwell Field, now forms the street pattern of Bar Nunn.
Working at an airport means working with the operator. Before we mobilize we ask for the airport's rules on airside access, vehicle permits, escorts, construction safety and phasing. We confirm crane heights and locations with the owner and the right airspace reviewers early, because an approval that arrives late stops a lift and, with it, the whole critical path.
On our side, we separate construction traffic from aircraft and public routes, keep debris and loose material out of movement areas and brief every worker on where they may and may not go. Fencing, gates and flaggers are part of the price, not a favor. We also keep a firm plan for stopping work when operations require it. Airport owners value contractors who respect those rules without being reminded.
Buildings at the airport answer to the airport operator, the local building official and, for some work, aviation authorities. Statewide, the Department of Fire Prevention and Electrical Safety adopted the 2024 International Codes on June 28, 2024, and the State of Wyoming's fire marshal page lists the 2024 International Building, Fire, Fuel Gas, Mechanical and Existing Building codes. The City of Casper lists the 2024 International Codes with amendments in Title 15 of its municipal code, and Natrona County's own adopted edition has not been confirmed, so we check which jurisdiction reviews a given airport parcel.
Hangars bring their own rules: fire suppression, separations, fuel handling, door loads and wind. Design wind and snow loads come from the engineer of record using the locally published criteria. We bring that engineer into the conversation during preconstruction, not after the footings are formed.
Airport work falls into a few building types. Aircraft hangars need clear spans, large doors and heavy door framing, along with commercial concrete floors built for aircraft loads and fuel-resistant surfaces. Warehouses and cargo buildings need good truck access and dock layouts. Offices and shops for aviation and light manufacturing tenants fill out the business park.
The NCIA Business Park next to the airport houses more than 35 businesses, ranging from manufacturing to aviation, along with a World War II museum. Foreign Trade Zone 157 is operated by the airport, with a 492 acre Magnet Site at 8500 Airport Parkway and a boundary covering nearly all of Natrona County. For owners that handle imports and exports, that designation changes the economics of warehouse space, and we build with the customs-related layout in mind when a tenant asks for it.
Airport schedules depend on operations, weather and approvals. We schedule heavy lifts and noisy work for off-peak periods, plan material staging so deliveries do not cross movement areas and add float for stop-work events. Winter is long at 5,344 feet, so foundations and enclosures should be planned for the warm months whenever possible.
The airport has recently announced a new air traffic control tower of just under $30 million, a 157 foot structure replacing a 50 foot tower built in 1954, with completion expected in early 2028. Large public work like that draws on the same subcontractors and material suppliers as private projects. If you are planning a hangar or a building in that window, bring us in early so your key trades are committed before the market tightens. Our approach to long-lead procurement covers steel, doors and electrical gear.
Airports run on strict safety rules, and we match them. Our site plan covers airside vehicle rules, foreign object debris control, crane operations, fall protection, hot work near fuel and emergency access for airport rescue crews. Every worker gets an orientation specific to the site.
The Wyoming State Forestry Division Helibase on airport grounds serves as the state's centralized wildland fire operations center, with fueling, parking, maintenance and crew housing next to a BLM single engine and large air tanker base. That is a reminder that airport work can involve active emergency operations, and construction must yield to them. We keep our schedule flexible enough that a fire-season response never creates a conflict with a pour or a lift.
Airport-adjacent owners frequently need other services in the metro. A company that distributes through the business park may also be looking at space in the Casper Logistics Hub, where rail and trade-zone advantages combine. A manufacturer can review the manufacturing tenants we serve, from power to slab design.
A Wyoming Business Council grant of $617,483 was approved for Natrona County to install about 30,000 linear feet of fiber optic cable in and around the airport business park at 8500 Airport Parkway. For tenants, that matters: connectivity inside the park is improving, and we coordinate conduit and building entry points so a new building is ready to connect.
Tell us the parcel, the use and the date. We will check access rules, crane needs and utilities and give you a sequence that works with airport operations.
Yes. Near a 10,165 foot runway, tall equipment and structures may need airspace review, and the airport operator has its own rules for temporary obstructions. We confirm crane height, location and duration with the owner and the right reviewers before ordering equipment.
The park houses more than 35 businesses, from manufacturing to aviation, so building sizes range widely. We start from your use: aircraft clearances for a hangar, dock count for a warehouse, shop size for light industrial. Then we check the parcel and utilities.
The zone has a 492 acre Magnet Site at the airport and a boundary covering nearly all of Natrona County. Operators who use it may need secure storage and a layout that supports customs-related handling. We design the building around that process when you tell us it matters.
Usually longer at the front end and the same in the field. Approvals, access plans and airside coordination take time, so we begin those during design. Once work starts, a hangar or shop follows a normal sequence of site, foundations, steel, enclosure and finishes.
It could, mostly through trade and material demand. The announced tower is expected to finish in early 2028. If your building overlaps that window, we recommend committing steel, concrete and electrical subcontractors early.