Northwest Aerospace News October | November Issue No. 11 | Page 65

I
n 2011, Krauter joined
Spokane Airports as their
chief executive officer. He
was attracted to the communi-
ty by the substantial potential
that he envisioned for Spo-
kane International Airport
and Felts Field. Over the past
eight years, Krauter and his
team have worked with airline
partners and the community
to increase nonstop destina-
tions and frequency of flights.
These efforts have resulted in
nearly a million more passen-
gers traveling through the ter-
minal. The number of nonstop
destinations has increased and
travelers can enjoy a variety of
amenities at the airport, from
free Wi-Fi and luggage carts,
to a complimentary car wash
customers can use before
leaving the airport.
The facilities have improved
significantly. A new snow-re-
moval equipment storage
building, parking department
building and fire station have
been built. The airfield has
been completely renovated.
The airport is in the process
of installing new digital ticket
counter displays, wayfinding
and screens in the airport’s
main terminal rotunda —
welcoming passengers to
the Spokane/Coeur d’Alene
region — and a new Marri-
ott Springhill Suites hotel is
nearing completion. At Felts
Field a new hangar is being
completed for the Historic
Flight Foundation.
The airport has also increased its business development activities. In 2018 the airport
partnered with the City of Spokane and Spokane County to form the West Plains/Air-
port Area Public Development Authority, a 9,000-acre area that includes the airport
and neighboring private property owners that are unified around a common vision of
creating a world-class transportation, logistics and advanced manufacturing center with
an emphasis in aerospace. Krauter serves on the PDA Board and is currently in his
second year as board chairman.
In addition to his airport and PDA chair duties, Krauter is very involved in the air-
port industry and the community. He is currently the 2nd vice chair of the American
Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) executive committee. He is a member of
the Choose Washington New Middle-Market Airplane Council, a past president of the
AAAE Northwest Chapter and on the board of the AAAE U.S. Contract Tower Asso-
ciation. He also serves on the board of the Spokane Regional Transportation Council,
the Spokane Good Roads Association and the Seattle branch of the Royal Aeronautical
Society. He is also a member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, the Wash-
ington Pilots Association, and the Washington Seaplane Pilots Association, and is a
licensed pilot who holds single engine land (SEL) and single engine sea (SES) ratings.
Krauter is also an Accredited Airport Executive (A.A.E.) and is a certified professional
planner (AICP).
While he is pleased with what has been accomplished to date, Krauter is pursuing an
aggressive agenda that is focused on modernizing Spokane International Airport and
Felts Field as well as helping to grow the regional aerospace business cluster.
OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2019 ISSUE NO. 11
65