Garmin Launches Aviation Facility at Gateway Airport

Garmin aviation facility at Mesa Gateway Airport.

Photo provided by Garmin International, Inc.

Supporting Garmin’s Growing Aviation Business

Garmin announced the acquisition of a hangar and office complex at Mesa Gateway Airport. The site expands capacity for aircraft certification and flight testing. This facility includes two adjacent hangars totaling about 75,000 square feet, with office space for roughly 75 employees.

Mesa Gateway Airport offers three parallel runways, including two longer than 10,000 feet. Combined with year-round favorable weather, the airport supports efficient flight operations. In addition, the Mesa site joins Garmin’s existing flight operations centers in Kansas and Oregon.

Metro Phoenix has been a long-standing Garmin engineering hub for more than 25 years. Operations began in Tempe, later expanded to Chandler, and grew again with the acquisition of AeroData in Scottsdale. The new Mesa location strengthens this regional network and supports continued hiring for engineering, serviceability, airworthiness, and flight test teams.

Garmin International, Inc. via PR Newswire:

Garmin is pleased to announce that it has acquired a hangar and office complex at the Mesa Gateway airport in Mesa, Arizona (KIWA). This new facility space will expand the company’s capacity for its aircraft certification and flight test organizations.

“We are excited to add another aviation facility to our business. The capabilities this location will provide are instrumental in extending aircraft airworthiness approvals and market coverage for our product lines. This expansion represents Garmin’s continued investment in infrastructure that supports growth and innovation in our aviation business segment.”
–Phil Straub, Garmin Executive Vice President Managing Director Aviation

The facility consists of two adjacent hangars of approximately 75,000 total square feet which includes office space that can accommodate approximately 75 associates. The Mesa Gateway Airport has three parallel runways, two of which are over 10,000 feet in length. This overall infrastructure, along with generally clear weather throughout the year, provides an ideal flight operations setting. This new Mesa location joins Garmin’s two existing flight operations centers in New Century, Kansas and Salem, Oregon. Additionally, Mesa Gateway is home to numerous aviation companies, including customer support/service centers of three major aircraft manufacturers – further underscoring the value of the community and location.

The Phoenix area has served as a Garmin engineering hub for over 25 years, initially with a facility in Tempe, and later moving to a larger facility in Chandler. More recently, Garmin further expanded its footprint to Scottsdale after acquiring AeroData in 2019. The proximity of these locations provides support and infrastructure as Garmin continues to grow. The additional facility and expanded operations will allow Garmin to hire experienced associates for the engineering, aircraft airworthiness approvals and flight test teams in Mesa.

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About Garmin International, Inc.

Garmin International, Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in Switzerland. Its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. Garmin is a registered trademark of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. The company’s products and services have revolutionized flight and become essential to the lives of pilots and aircraft owners and operators around the world. A leading provider of solutions to general aviation, business aviation, rotorcraft, advanced air mobility, government and defense, and commercial air carrier customers, Garmin believes every day is an opportunity to innovate. Garmin developed the world’s first certified autonomous system that activates during an emergency to control and land an aircraft without human intervention.

About Mesa Gateway Airport

Located in southeast Mesa, Mesa Gateway Airport contributes roughly $1.8 billion annually to the local economy and supports over 10,000 jobs. It is a key hub for Allegiant Air, offering nonstop flights to over 45 destinations, featuring 10 passenger gates and three long runways. The airport has been a magnet for technology, distribution, and manufacturing, attracting millions of square feet of development to the area. It is an aerospace hub and home to companies such as Embraer, Gulfstream, and Textron Aviation. Gateway is also advancing a long-term master plan update. Plans could include relocating the passenger terminal to the east side of the airfield.