Yulista Aviation expands to Middle Georgia Regional Airport

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – One Alaskan-based aviation company is expanding to the Middle Georgia Regional Airport.

Yulista Aviation is operating a hangar at the airport in Macon. Employees will modify and maintain military aircraft including Blackhawks and Chinook helicopters.

“You can be proud of what goes on here,” Mayor Robert Reichert said. “It’s another way that we can help in national defense.”

Leaders with the aviation company hope the 21,000 square foot hangar will be home to more than 50 jobs. 

“It just seemed to be a natural thing to expand that work over here, ” Yulista Aviation President Darrell Harrison said. 

“It makes us an important aviation innovation center and as that grows it’s like a snowball going downhill,” Reichert said. 

A snowball that’s growing into something big. 

“If it continues to grow the way we expect, then a year and half to two years (from now) we can start working with the airports here to build us a larger hangar,” Harrison said. 

He says he wants to expand in the process. 

“One that we can do work on aircraft as large as say C-130’s. So if we can do that, we could several hundred jobs here,” Harrison said. 

County leaders predict the move would be an economic boost and an opportunity for more growth in the community. 

“Macon-Bibb County and all of Middle Georgia can be proud of what goes on here at Middle Georgia Regional Airport,” Reichert said. 

Macon-Bibb’s Industrial Authority invested more than $1 million into the partnership with Yulista by leasing the hangar.