SHREVEPORT, LA — Gov. John Bel Edwards, Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins and Advanced Aero Services (AAS) President Mike Anderson announce AAS will launch an aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at the Shreveport Regional Airport. The MRO facility will serve commercial airline customers at an existing hangar on the airport property.

By 2021, AAS will create 60 new direct jobs with an average annual salary of $49,600, plus benefits. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project’s initial phase will result in 77 new indirect jobs, for a total of 137 new jobs in Northwest Louisiana. Future phases include plans to build a narrow-body MRO hangar that would boost employment substantially.

After establishing operations over the next two years, AAS plans to secure financing for a narrow-body MRO hangar that will open the path to further growth. With that facility in place and business objectives met, AAS would grow to as many as 500 jobs by 2024 and 1,000 jobs later in the decade. At 1,000 jobs, the Advanced Aero Services operations would support an additional 1,280 new indirect jobs, for a total of 2,280 new jobs in Northwest Louisiana.

Initial services to be offered in Shreveport include aviation-parts manufacturing; airline maintenance and modifications that support major and regional airlines, original equipment manufacturers and leasing companies; business and commercial aircraft supplemental-type certificate engineering development; and government program support. The future hangar will enable AAS to provide MRO services for larger transport aircraft.

LED began discussions with AAS about a potential MRO center in Shreveport two years ago. To secure the project, the State of Louisiana offered AAS the comprehensive workforce solutions of LED FastStart, a workforce training program. In addition, the company is expected to utilize LED’s Quality Jobs and Industrial Tax Exemption programs.

AAS will begin MRO operations in the existing 30,000-square-foot Hangar 5, located in the Shreveport Regional Airport’s Aeropark and near industrial property along the shorter of the airport’s two runways, where the future building will likely be constructed.

“This exciting project has been in development for about two years. We thank the former and current city administrations for their help and recognize our Shreveport Regional Airport leadership for their support,” said EAP Executive Director Dave Smith.

Hiring for the project, supported by LED FastStart, is expected to begin by late February or early March, with MRO operations beginning later in the spring. The North Louisiana Economic Partnership is supporting AAS and its integration into the Shreveport community and the regional business landscape.