Private Development Has Mesa Gateway Airport Soaring to New Heights

Thirty years ago, the closure of Williams Air Force Base marked a critical turning point for the Phoenix East Valley. Where past base closures created uncertainty and despair, local leaders from Mesa and the neighboring communities saw opportunity. They envisioned a commercial service airport that would become a powerful driver of regional economic growth.

Today, Mesa Gateway Airport (Aza) is more than a regional commercial aviation hub; it’s a nationally recognized model of how airports can leverage private development to diversify revenue, attract leading aviation industry companies and drive economic sustainability for the future.

A Shared Vision Beyond the Runway

From its inception, the airport was envisioned, designed and promoted to be much more than just a general aviation or commercial service reliever airport with limited airline service.

With an impressive 3,000 acres under its control, the board of directors for the then Williams Gateway Airport Authority were united in the belief that the airport was uniquely positioned to become the center of a future regional employment corridor. Airport authority staff understood that a successful redevelopment strategy would require more than attracting commercial air service, so they created a shared long-term vision that included both aviation-related facility/infrastructure planning and significant private development. The board viewed the airport as a major economic development project that just happened to have three 10,000-foot runways.

The authority’s shared vision and relentless promotion of the airport has certainly paid off. To date, over 2.4 million square feet of private development has transformed the airport, with nearly half of the projects occurring after 2020.

Industry Leaders Call Gateway Airport Home

The business directory at Gateway Airport reads like a who’s-who of the aviation industry: Cessna/Beechcraft- Textron, Embraer, Boeing, Virgin Galactic, Able Aerospace Services-Textron, Gulfstream Aerospace and Allegiant Air all have impressive facilities along the airfield flight line.

In November 2024, Gulfstream Aerospace opened a brand new $130 million, 225,000 square foot West Coast Service Center, expanding their airport footprint to more than 325,000 square feet and more than 300 local employees. Around the same time, The Boeing Company, which manufactures the Apache helicopter in Mesa, began prepping completed helicopters for transport in its new hangar located at the north end of Gateway Airport’s airfield.

In the summer of 2025, space tourism pioneer Virgin Galactic completed construction of two large facilities totaling more than 150,000 square feet, including a 115,000 square foot spaceship manufacturing facility where they are assembling six-passenger Delta-class spaceships. The other hangar will be used for testing and will house Virgin Galactic’s “mothership,” a unique aircraft that will ferry completed spaceships from Gateway Airport to New Mexico for Virgin Galactic’s emerging space tourism program.

Another project currently under construction is Gateway Commerce Center III, a two-building industrial complex totaling 100,000 square feet that offers suites from 6,500 square feet to 20,000 square feet, a midrange industrial product currently in high demand in greater Phoenix.

Partnering with Experienced Master Developers

To unlock the true potential of its vast aeronautical and non-aeronautical land holdings, Gateway Airport took a critical step — the airport entered into long-term agreements with two experienced real estate developers with successful track records managing large commercial projects. These partnerships provided the airport with development expertise, national relationships and a significant initial infrastructure investment.

SkyBridge Arizona – A 360-acre project on the southwest side of the airfield that includes both aeronautical and non-aeronautical development opportunities. A consortium of companies, including two commercial real estate companies from Mexico, has invested more than $30 million in horizontal infrastructure to ready the large parcel for development. To date, completed SkyBridge Arizona projects include a 53,000 square foot industrial building, an 82,500 square foot hangar and two 250,000 square foot advanced manufacturing facilities, which are currently fully leased. Gateway East – A 273-acre airport business park located on the east side of the airport. This non- aeronautical-only parcel is being subdivided and developed by the Boyer Company, L.C., of Salt Lake City. Gateway East’s first tenant is XNRGY Climate Systems, which recently began manufacturing high- end climate control systems in a new $68 million, 275,000 square foot manufacturing facility, co- located with its U.S. corporate headquarters. A new SpringHill Suites by Marriott, retail shops and restaurants are also underway, supporting nearby tenants like Gulfstream and helping create a dynamic, mixed-use environment at the airport.

Lessons Learned in Engaging Third-Party Partnerships

Gateway Airport’s two master development agreements are similar, but uniquely designed to allow each the creativity, scalability and flexibility necessary to meet the changing demands of the regional environment.

By negotiating master development agreements and master lease terms that reflect early-stage risk and reward long- term investment, Gateway Airport aligned the interests of the airport authority and the developers. Additionally, the airport’s inclusion in Foreign Trade Zones, Opportunity Zones and Military Reuse Zones has been a key selling point as the airport’s in-house economic development team works to attract globally recognized aviation industry leaders.

A key takeaway: enabling the private sector to invest in horizontal infrastructure — roads, utilities and taxiways — has accelerated development timelines, reduced the airport’s financial risk and allowed the developers to benefit financially from their early investment and success.

The Results Speak for Themselves

In Fiscal Year 2025, Gateway Airport surpassed 2 million annual passengers for the first time in its history and set new records for operating revenue, net income, aeronautical and non-aeronautical land lease revenue, vehicle parking revenue and aviation fuel sales revenue.

In the last few years, the airport has welcomed more than 1.25 million square feet of private development, attracting several new aviation industry leaders to greater Phoenix. Equally impressive are the more than 3,000 on-airport jobs that have been created at Gateway Airport through these types of private investment projects.

Enabling the private sector to invest in horizontal infrastructure — roads, utilities and taxiways — has accelerated development timelines, reduced the airport’s financial risk and allowed the developers to benefit financially from their early investment and success.

At build-out, the airport’s two master developments, Gateway East and SkyBridge Arizona, are expected to add thousands of additional high-wage jobs and create a ripple effect through the regional economy that represents long-term sustainability.

Development Advice to Airports

Gateway Airport’s experience shows that pairing the right development partners with flexible, long-term agreements can unlock value without overextending public resources. Airports seeking to diversify revenue should consider leveraging tax tools, zoning designations and outside real estate expertise to create lasting economic sustainability.

Above all, Mesa Gateway Airport’s success is the result of a unified vision and the patience to commit to a long-term development strategy.