Aerospace
The region’s aerospace cluster is flourishing, and Harlingen offers a prime position to leverage sky-high opportunity.
At the nexus of a cluster expanding the boundaries of the possible
Harlingen sits in a pivotal location less than 40 minutes from leading aviation and aerospace companies including General Electric Aviation and the sprawling and world-changing operations of SpaceX. Home of the world’s first commercial rocket launch site, SpaceX is currently testing the Starship prototype—a fully reusable, two-stage-to-orbit heavy-lift launch—as the selected vehicle for NASA’s Human Landing System for missions to the Moon and Mars.
An airport setting new standards for South Texas
A designated NAFTA Cargo Port and already the Rio Grande Valley’s largest airport, Valley International Airport (VIA) is expanding its leading role with improvements that include:
Expansion of one of VIA’s three runways to 9,400 feet, making it the longest runway south of Austin and Houston, and allowing the five major cargo carriers that serve the airport to increase their take-off weight by more than 25%.
The upgrade of two new ILS systems, cutting aircraft approach minimums in half, a first for the region.
A new $3 million fiber upgrade making VIA the first in the nation with a 100% fiber circuit.
Operational
environments that empower
productivity & innovation
Harlingen Aerotropolis: This 479-acre shovel-ready site, adjacent to the Valley International Airport, has been designated a Certified Site by McCallum Sweeney Consultants, zoned for light and heavy industrial, and positioned for rapid market access.
Manufacturing space at Valley International Airport: This includes 320,000 SF of rentable building area, encompassing a 54,000 SF drive-through hangar and 10,000 SF of office space.
Agile skills ideal
for aerospace
Harlingen’s youthful workforce offers flexible skills supported by training such as Texas State Technical College-Harlingen’s certification and degree programs in Aircraft Airframe Technology, Precision Machining Technology and Welding Technology. Custom training is also available, with costs defrayed by the Texas Skills Development Fund.
Fast-movinG Infrastructure
Harlingen’s infrastructure delivers for aerospace enterprise. In addition to Valley International, logistics include Interstate access; the Los Indios Bridge, offering the fastest pass-through times to Mexico; and Port of Harlingen, which opens global access while providing multimodal advantages including Class I rail and a heavy haul corridor to Mexico.
Incentives to speed ROI
High-impact incentives are one of the many reasons Texas continually ranks at the top of lists like PwC’s annual Aerospace Manufacturing Attractiveness. For example, since its inception in 2004, the Texas Enterprise Fund has awarded more than $41 million to aerospace, aviation and defense companies. The state’s R&D and Manufacturing Tax Exemptions also support end-to-end aerospace innovations.