Leadership in West Virginia’s House of Delegates say boosting economic development through aviation will be a priority in the upcoming legislative session. Some of the ideas include creating a new aviation technician training program, supporting regional airports and developing a program for helping finance hangar development. The idea is to expand the maintenance, repair and overhaul work that’s been successful in Clarksburg to other airports and expand aircraft painting. Del Clay Riley, R-Harrison, said “West Virginia has a strong aviation industry for decades. You have companies like Pratt Whitney, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, MHIRJ, the old Bombardier, that have been here for decades and really have invested in West Virginia, and I think what you’ve seen is we delivered for them,” Lawmakers believe the Mountain State is still positioned to be a center of aviation work.