This article states the concrete plans for the hanger began in 2011.
“A month later in June 2011, Millardair finalized a site plan agreement with municipal governments and applied for a building permit for a 51,516-square-foot hangar at the northwest corner of the airport, valued at $6.4 million. The building permit was approved in July 2011.”
From jetliners to police tape
A month without contracts might be nothing if the airport plans had began to progress into reality but that hadn’t occured by late 2012. By then it’s highly possible there were many indications that expansion for the new terminal and runways was not imminent therefore airlines would have no incentive to arrange contracts with an MRO that month, the next month or later.
It’s not unusual for businesses to gamble, land developers do it all the time on the prospects of planned urban growth and development which is much like what WN chose to do IMO. But the airport plan was only a plan, not a commitment, no guarantee it would proceed.
If there is motive for DM in all this, it would be the wasting of his anticipated luctrative inheritance on a costly project that had no future. JMO