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This has been brewing for a while. AAR refused to sign another long term lease several months ago and the IAA board was confused about it. AAR’s recent acquisition of HAECO explains it.
Large revenue loss for airport. If it was confusing to IAA board than my guess is they don’t have a new deal waiting in the wings. Hope they can refill it and get the revenue needed.
So the largest heavy aircraft maintenance company bought the 2nd largest heavy aircraft maintenance company with all cash, then dumped its 367,000 sf IND facility, along with the 329 employees.
But in 2024, they also announced construction of an 80,000 sf facility in OKC, which would open in January 2026 and employ 200 people.
I’d be interested to know which event was the bigger catalyst for fleeing Indy.
Michael B —
Your characterization of “FLEEING” Indy is exactly right. Sadly, the IBJ story includes only the news release excuse that this results from the HAECO acquisition. The logical conclusion is that the economics of North Carolina and Florida facilities are better than Indianapolils. How so? Facilities? Utilities? Worker productivity? What?
This elementary hypothesis seems more than confirmed by your quick internet research revealing the Oklahoma investment ..
.. adding more fuel to the obvious conclusion that Indianapolis/Indiana has a very big problem in terms of competing with at least 3 other states. (And it’s not because Greensboro, Lake City and OKC are more logistically convenient to aircraft owning customers!)
The loss of 300 jobs like THIS is a huge story. Alarm bells should be sounding red alert at state and local eco devo offices. When the reporter called Jim Schellinger, Dave Adams and Josh Richardson, what did they have to say?
What is also interesting is no mention of any negotiations to maintain the operations at IIA. This, in my opinion, made the move a forgone conclusion that AAR who had no intention of remaining at IIA for whatever reason.
This should not have been a surprise to anyone involved.
Hopefully conversation’s with FedEx/Boeing, Republic Airway/Embraer, Rolls Royce, GE Avaition and others will result in better opportunities for them optimize their aircraft fleets maintenance near their Indianapolis operations centers and headquarters.
Top 50 Aircraft Maintenance, Repair, and
Overhaul (MRO) Market
https://www.sphericalinsights.com/blogs/top-50-companies-in-aircraft-maintenance-repair-and-overhaul-mro-market-statistics-report-till-2035#:~:text=Lufthansa%20Technik%20AG,maintenance%20and%20minimize%20operational%20disruptions.
… so #3 acquired #5 …
5% growth in the industry that is more and more concentrated in AI based systems …
Losing this industry was a big setback. Being “confused” or surprised so much worse.
Hopefully the space can be the springboard to imaginative and creative recruitment of someone else on this list
https://www.sphericalinsights.com/blogs/top-50-companies-in-aircraft-maintenance-repair-and-overhaul-mro-market-statistics-report-till-2035#:~:text=Lufthansa%20Technik%20AG,maintenance%20and%20minimize%20operational%20disruptions