Between 2019-2026, aerospace and aviation employment is expected to increase by over 26 percent in AEP-served counties, almost four times the national rate of 6.6.
Aviation and
Aerospace
Runway for Growth
When your business takes off, literally in more ways than one, you’ll need a runway for expansion. Our 11-state footprint is prime for your aerospace and aviation growth, booming with existing and emerging locations where you can thrive. Robust talent pools. Low-cost land. Efficient supply chain networks. We can help select the best site for your business. Let us show you the way.
A Region Built for Aerospace
4,500+ aerospace and aviation entities call AEP states home, that’s over 25 percent of all industry entities in the U.S.
Twenty-four percent of the nation’s aerospace exports come from AEP states, totaling $34B annually.
279,000+ employees work in aerospace and aviation industries in our states, with average labor costs typically 15 percent less than the national average.
More than 52,000 engineers and engineering technicians graduate from campuses in AEP states every year.
We serve 9 air and naval bases, including Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, home to the B-52 Stratofortress Aircraft and assigned to Air Force Global Strike Command.
Featured Site
Tri-State Aeroplex
This 95-acre AEP Quality Site is located southwest of the City of Huntington, on the southern portion of West Virginia's second busiest airport.
See more AEP Quality SitesTake Flight with AEP
Our experience serving American industry gives us a unique understanding of the aerospace and aviation industry’s diverse needs and challenges. We can support your location decisions and industrial power needs for new sites and existing facilities.
Aeroready Certification
Dozens of AEP-served counties have been independently validated as AEROready™, which certifies they have the necessary labor and infrastructure to support aerospace industry, resulting in reduced risk for potential aerospace companies.
Regional Spotlights
- The Corpus Christi region is home to the largest helicopter repair facility in the world. Nearby naval aviation bases employ a large civilian workforce in high tech aircraft. Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi is one of six sites selected by the Federal Aviation Administration as a test site to incorporate drones into the national airspace.
- Tulsa’s American Airlines Maintenance & Engineering Center is one of the world’s largest commercial Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul (MRO) facilities in the world, helping to make Oklahoma one of the seven centers in the world for MRO. Other major industry players like Lufthansa Technik, Spirit AeroSystems, and The NORDAM Group are located in the Tulsa region.
- Our Appalachian Sky region in Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia is bursting with potential. 150 aerospace industries and service providers already call the region home, and with eight-times the national average of available metal fabrication workforce, a strong higher education system, multiple available buildings and sites, strong market access and low operating costs, it is primed for growth.
- Northwest Louisiana has seen a recent aerospace boom. Western Global Airlines announced a new 170-job aircraft maintenance facility and Shreveport-based Metro Aviation Inc. continues to expand its global completion services for helicopters.