The tunnel will allow continued vehicle access on Washington Lane, which currently separates the Sikorsky Global Headquarters facility and the Chester County Airport. In turn, Sikorsky will have direct aircraft access to the airport, freeing it from restrictions such as having to shut down the road when flying overhead.
Dinniman said that in meetings with Sikorsky, company officials were weighing the possibility of moving operations to a location directly adjacent to an airport.
Sikorsky’s current operations require the helicopters to depart the facility and perform a low hover to the Chester County Airport. During this transition, both ends of Washington Lane are closed to mitigate risks to people and vehicles using the road. This scenario takes place several times a day.
In recent years, Sikorsky has experienced rapid job growth, growing from about 700 employees in 2010 to approximately 1,800 today.
