AAR to open new aircraft maintenance facility in Duluth, Minnesota

AAR, a leading North American provider of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services to commercial airlines, has passed the Federal Aviation Administration’s certification approval process for a new aircraft maintenance facility in Duluth, Minnesota. The certification process is a key regulatory milestone that paves the way for AAR to commence operations. The addition of the Duluth facility increases AAR’s aircraft maintenance capacity by approximately 10% and will leverage the Company’s MRO systems and processes to provide customers with an additional geographic location and increased flexibility. AAR currently maintains MRO facilities in Indianapolis, Oklahoma City, Miami and Hot Springs, Arkansas, which operate as part of the Company’s nationwide “1MRO” network. AAR expects the 188,000 ft² facility to be operational with a launch customer by December 2012 and anticipates that it will be running at full capacity within a year. AAR has already begun hiring in Duluth and has immediate openings for additional aviation maintenance technicians (AMTs).