Saint Francis gets aviation grant
Airport pairs up with university in new program
A new aviation degree program at Saint Francis University is set to get off the ground with a $1.9 million state grant.
Rep. Frank Burns, D-Johnstown, brought the House Democratic Policy Committee to the Ebensburg Borough Municipal Building in October to listen to testimony on employer needs and employee training.
Burns announced Thursday that a $1.9 million grant will be received by the university and John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport to support a new Business Aviation Management degree program.
“Our testifiers in October — including Barry Surma, director of the Saint Francis University Small Business Development Center, and RaNell Fenchak, director of the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport — made a convincing case for thinking outside the box and being attuned to employer needs with job training efforts,” read a statement by Burns.
The grant is funded by the state multimodal fund, which is dedicated to investments in transit, aviation, rail freight and pedestrian and bicycle modes, in addition to increasing highway and bridge funding.
Larry Nulton, vice president of operations for the Cambria County airport, said participating students will graduate with a four-year business degree in aviation management and a commercial pilot certificate.
“They can work anywhere in the aviation industry. It opens the door to many angles,” he said.
Nulton said the new Saint Francis program is only the second program of its kind in the state.
The program is slated to open in August 2018.
The program will attach to the airport’s flight school.
According to a Burns’ press release, the funding will be awarded to the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport for upgrades to the airport facility; the purchase of a flight simulator for the degree; and assistance with the first five students’ tuition, room and board. The grant will also be used to market the degree program.
“This grant is one manifestation of a new way of thinking when it comes to economic development in Cambria County,” Burns’ statement read.
Mirror Staff Writer Russ O’Reilly is at 946-7435.
COMMENTS