American Airlines' Carmine Romano discussed a new aircraft maintenance hangar that will be constructed at Tulsa International Airport.
Fifty city and state officials and representatives of American Airlines held a ceremonial ground breaking Thursday for the first aircraft maintenance hangar built at Tulsa International Airport in 20 years.
Although heavy rains scuttled the shovels and the moving of dirt, the weather didn’t dampen the enthusiasm for American’s new hangar or a growing aerospace industry in Tulsa.
“This takes a team, an incredible group of volunteer citizens at the Tulsa airport board, the Tulsa Industrial Authority, Tulsa Technology Center, Tulsa Public Schools system and, of course, a great aerospace work force and great aerospace executives in this community,†Mayor Kathy Taylor said.
Taylor noted that American’s $10 million hangar is also the result of cooperation between the city and the state.
Concerned a year ago that American could transfer maintenance work elsewhere if suitable facilities weren’t available in Tulsa, Gov. Brad Henry approved the tapping of $10 million from the state’s Opportunity Fund, which contains surplus state money that is used to create jobs.
Spirit AeroSystems Inc., the former Boeing unit that builds wing components for every Boeing commercial plane except the 717, received $4.3 million of the $10 million to overall one of its facilities.
Taylor paired $5.7 million of the state money with $4.3 million in local funds to build American’s new 80,000-square-foot hangar. The American hangar is scheduled to open next year.
Fifty city and state officials and representatives of American Airlines held a ceremonial ground breaking Thursday for the first aircraft maintenance hangar built at Tulsa International Airport in 20 years.
Although heavy rains scuttled the shovels and the moving of dirt, the weather didn’t dampen the enthusiasm for American’s new hangar or a growing aerospace industry in Tulsa.
“This takes a team, an incredible group of volunteer citizens at the Tulsa airport board, the Tulsa Industrial Authority, Tulsa Technology Center, Tulsa Public Schools system and, of course, a great aerospace work force and great aerospace executives in this community,†Mayor Kathy Taylor said.
Taylor noted that American’s $10 million hangar is also the result of cooperation between the city and the state.
Concerned a year ago that American could transfer maintenance work elsewhere if suitable facilities weren’t available in Tulsa, Gov. Brad Henry approved the tapping of $10 million from the state’s Opportunity Fund, which contains surplus state money that is used to create jobs.
Spirit AeroSystems Inc., the former Boeing unit that builds wing components for every Boeing commercial plane except the 717, received $4.3 million of the $10 million to overall one of its facilities.
Taylor paired $5.7 million of the state money with $4.3 million in local funds to build American’s new 80,000-square-foot hangar. The American hangar is scheduled to open next year.
