NEI Regional Development Authority Delivers $1 Million Award to Fort Wayne Allen County Airport Authority

The Canadian private jet manufacturer Bombardier selected Fort Wayne as the home for its Midwestern MRO facility after an extensive and competitive site selection process. The project required close coordination between the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), the RDA, and local economic development organization Greater Fort Wayne to structure a financing solution using the READI program — the only funding tool available to the RDA at the time.

"The IEDC reached out because they needed help landing the plane," said Jacob Ihrie, NEI Senior Director of Regional Initiatives & Executive Director of the RDA. "That plane was Bombardier, who is now a collaborative and dedicated partner for the region."

On July 8, 2025, the RDA board voted to modify its existing READI commitments to redirect funds toward the Airport Authority, unlocking the additional investment needed to move the project forward. Ribbons were cut in October 2025, with behind-the-scenes work on closing and documentation continuing for another seven months.

"Nothing is easy in economic development and with some ingenuity, we found an excited partner to move their project forward for the region," said Ihrie. "The IEDC READI Team served as the administrative back bone to help us reshape this new process. Securing commitments from both the governments offering the incentive and the private industry promising to invest is an intricate dance of negotiations — and once the dust settles, you still have to get the money out."

The Bombardier MRO project is a multi-million-dollar investment in equipment, building improvements, and technology and is expected to bring an estimated 100 jobs to the Fort Wayne-Allen County area.

SOURCE Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership (NEI)