Working in conjunction with the Augusta Regional airport (AGS), the Augusta Economic Development Authority and the state of Georgia, StandardAero is to add an 80,500sq ft hangar expansion at its Augusta business aviation MRO facility. Construction is expected to be completed in 2025.

"The new facility will add over 60 per cent of new space to our existing footprint," says Chris Bodine, vice president and general manager of the Augusta facility. "The current facility was built in the 1970s when aircraft were a lot smaller. The new facility will allow us to support additional super mid-size to large cabin aircraft for airframe and avionics while also significantly expanding our engine shop to further support many of those aircraft.

"We are very thankful to the Augusta airport, City of Augusta and the state of Georgia for their generous outreach and support for building this new facility," says Tony Brancato, president of StandardAero Business Aviation. "The expansion will allow us to work on larger Dassault, Gulfstream and Bombardier aircraft and also meet the rapidly growing MRO needs of HTF7000 series engine operators."

AGS executive director Herbert L Judon Jr adds: "This project is the largest business development announcement in generations. The expansion is a key building block for future airport growth. We are very fortunate to have partnerships, both private and public, that work closely together to bring this to fruition. The expansion will not only generate significant regional economic impact, but it will also provide support to our efforts to educate local youth and increase workforce development."

To get the facility built, the AGS airport/Augusta Economic Development Authority has secured a grant for site prep work and construction and, over a 10 year period, the State of Georgia will apply job tax credits for incremental employees added to the site plus additional incentives.

"This is an exciting time for StandardAero, and this expansion will allow us to grow and better serve our customers for the next 50 years," adds Brancato.