AAR Breaks Ground on MRO Facility Expansion in Oklahoma City

AAR CORP., a leading provider of aviation services to commercial and government operators, MROs, and OEMs, broke ground on the expansion of its maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility in Oklahoma City earlier today.

More than 150 representatives from AAR, Alaska Airlines, state and local government, and partner organizations supporting the efforts gathered to celebrate groundbreaking on AAR's new three-bay facility that is being constructed adjacent to the Company's existing facility at Will Rogers World Airport.

The new facility has been designed to provide AAR an additional 80,000+ square feet of hangar and warehouse space and to accommodate all 737 variants, including the 737-10. AAR's growth in Oklahoma City supports a recently expanded maintenance commitment from Alaska Airlines, a valued customer of AAR for more than 20 years. The new airframe MRO facility is expected to be operational in January of 2026.

Considerable funding for the project was made possible through a grant secured by Oklahoma legislators, with the balance expected to be funded through rent concessions from the airport.

Speakers at the groundbreaking celebration included John M. Holmes, AAR's Chairman, President and CEO; Don Wright, Alaska Airlines' Vice President of Maintenance & Engineering; Grayson Ardies, State Director of Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission; Lt. Governor Matt Pinell; Senator Paul Rosino; Jeff Seymour of Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce – Economic Development; Terry Salmon, Chair of the Oklahoma City Airport Trust; and Jeff Mulder, Oklahoma City Director of Airports.

Holmes shared, "Today's groundbreaking has been made possible thanks to collaborative efforts across AAR and Alaska Airlines, partnerships with Oklahoma City Airport Trust, and state and local representatives who are passionate about expanding aviation in Oklahoma. We are especially excited about creating 200 additional full-time careers with AAR, which we expect to fill through local technical schools and workforce development partners who create opportunities through aviation-centric programming, such as Choose Aerospace."

"The Oklahoma City Airport Trust is excited to partner with AAR to expand its Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul operation at Will Rogers World Airport. This expansion of AAR's MRO operation provides more hangar capacity at OKC, along with more aviation jobs for our community," said Jeff Mulder, Oklahoma City's Director of Airports.

"This groundbreaking isn't just about constructing a hangar. It's about cultivating an excellent experience for all involved. JE Dunn is honored to bring our construction expertise and leadership and partner with The Oklahoma City Airport Trust (OCAT) to support the business growth happening in our city," said Jason Bishop, JE Dunn's Vice President – Oklahoma City, who is leading the construction effort.

For more information on AAR, visit aarcorp.com.

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AAR CORP., a leading provider of aviation services to commercial and government operators, MROs, and OEMs, broke ground on its new maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility in Miami earlier today. More than 400 attendees gathered to celebrate the occasion, where AAR’s Chairman, President and CEO John M. Holmes expressed appreciation for the collaborative efforts that are making the expansion possible. United Airlines’ Vice President of Tech Ops – Heavy Maintenance James Crane, Miami International Airport Director and CEO Ralph Cutié, and Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava also shared their enthusiasm for the project in prepared remarks. AAR’s new 114,000 square foot facility is being constructed adjacent to the Company’s existing hangar at Miami International Airport and will increase maintenance capacity at AAR’s airframe MRO by 33%. The new three-bay facility will support a dedicated narrow body maintenance commitment from United Airlines and create more than 200 jobs in Miami. Miami-Dade County has committed to reimbursing the cost of constructing the facility, which is expected to be operational in October of 2025. “As a leader in international passengers and cargo, MIA is one of the busiest and best mega airports in the country - and AAR’s significant infrastructure investment only advances our local aviation industry,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “This expansion will strengthen the robust training and repair programs AAR is known for and bring more than 200 new jobs to Miami-Dade County.” “The construction of this facility is an important step in AAR’s growth strategy that enables us to best serve our valued customers. We are enthusiastic that our expansion in Miami will create career opportunities and continue to strengthen the aviation industry in south Florida,” said Holmes. “I would like to extend special thanks to United, the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, Miami International Airport, and all federal, state, and local partners.”