LAKE CHARLES, Louisiana, November 26, 2013 – AAR (NYSE: AIR) announced today that it has completed the first heavy maintenance check on a commercial aircraft at its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility located at Chennault International Airport in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The work was performed on an Airbus A330. In addition, the Lake Charles MRO, which commenced operations using a short-term approval granted under its Miami facility’s operating certificate, has now received its own operating certificate bringing the total number of FAA-certified AAR repair stations to 14.
AAR announced that it would occupy the facility in August and commenced operations in September. The Lake Charles MRO is the Company’s sixth major heavy aircraft maintenance facility in North America, where AAR provides a wide range of services, from scheduled maintenance and structural repairs to re-engineering aircraft interiors
“We were able to assemble a great team and perform the work in a relatively short time by leveraging the strength and talent of our nationwide network of MRO facilities,” said Chris Jessup, Senior Vice President, Airframe and Engineering for AAR’s Aviation Services segment. “These are significant milestones in the ramp up at Lake Charles as we establish the new operation and position the business for growth.”
AAR, the largest MRO provider in the Americas, occupies approximately 520,000 square feet of service and administrative space at the facility, with eight hangar bays, seven of which can accommodate a wide variety of wide-body aircraft. Construction on a 112,000-square-foot hangar that can accommodate aircraft as large as the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8 is underway and expected to be completed in the summer of 2014.
The Lake Charles repair station operates as part of AAR’s nationwide 1MRO Network, which includes facilities in Indianapolis, Miami, Oklahoma City, Duluth, Minnesota, and Hot Springs, Arkansas. AAR’s 1MRO approach provides customers with access to integrated repair, engineering, IT, parts services and increased flexibility from multiple locations throughout the country. Additionally, airframe parts used to perform the work in Lake Charles were sourced through AAR’s Aviation Supply Chain business.
About AAR
AAR is a global aerospace and defense contractor that employs more than 6,000 people in 17 countries. Based in Wood Dale, Illinois, AAR supports commercial, government and defense customers through two operating segments: Aviation Services and Technology Products. AAR’s services include inventory management and parts distribution; aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul; and expeditionary airlift. AAR’s products include cargo systems and containers; mobility systems and shelters; advanced aerostructures; and command and control systems. More information can be found at www.aarcorp.com.
