Metro East aerospace company expands, adds jobs in exchange for Illinois tax breaks

St. Louis Downtown Airport in St. Clair County is getting 200 new, full-time jobs for the airport’s largest tenant, business jet company Gulfstream Aerospace.

Gulfstream is adding positions for aircraft technicians, installers and supervisors as part of a tax credit agreement with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the company and state officials announced Tuesday.

St. Louis Downtown Airport is located partially in Cahokia Heights and the village of Sauget.

It is owned and operated by Bi-State Development, an economic development agency for the St. Louis region. Bi-State Development also operates MetroLink and MetroBus and the Gateway Arch tram system, riverboats and helicopter tours.

St. Louis Downtown Airport serves customers on private flights, as well as flight school students. Aircraft and helicopter maintenance also takes place at the airport.

As part of Gulfstream’s tax credit agreement with the state, the company also invested $28.5 million to expand its operations at St. Louis Downtown Airport and agreed to retain 498 existing employees.