Boeing

Boeing today announced its plans to establish a major aerospace logistics and support center for large aircraft at Kelly Air Force Base, located near San Antonio, Texas.

The new Boeing Aerospace Support Center at Kelly will be a cornerstone of the company's long-term strategy to be the aerospace industry's preeminent provider of defense-based maintenance and modification services, and selected commercial cargo modifications. "In the wake of the merger and integration of our strategic plans, we determined that The Boeing Company needs a much larger, more capable facility to better support our customers' needs," said Jim Restelli, vice president and general manager of Aerospace Support. "Kelly holds the potential to meet these requirements," he said.

The Boeing Aerospace Support Center at Kelly offers the capacity to handle large Boeing aircraft, such as the C-17, KC-10, KC-135 and DC-10/MD-11 cargo configurations. The C-17 airlifter support program is intended to be among the first programs to be introduced into the facility.

Boeing finalized a basic agreement with the Greater Kelly Development Corp. after weeks of detailed negotiations, and is working with the U.S. Air Force and local, state and federal government officials to define transition and implementation actions. "All of us worked very hard to reach an equitable agreement that will benefit the San Antonio community and its citizens, as well as Boeing," said Restelli. "I want to compliment all of the parties involved on their efforts to bring this win-win opportunity together," he said.

Kelly Air Force Base was chosen because it offers a number of important capabilities, including high-bay hangars capable of handling several large, wide-bodied aircraft simultaneously. The base also offers existing paint/depaint facilities, as well as other related maintenance capabilities.

"Kelly is home to a strong workforce that is highly skilled in multiple aerospace disciplines," said Restelli. "The exceptional credentials of that workforce and of the Kelly facility provide for an outstanding opportunity to make the new Boeing Aerospace Support Center a major success in the aircraft maintenance and modification services business."

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