EADS opens maintenance center in Mobile, Ala.
Published 1:53 pm Thursday, October 1, 2009
EADS has opened its maintenance, repair and overhaul center in Mobile, Ala., growing the European company’s presence in the state.
The 30,000 square-foot facility for military aircraft is not to be confused with EADS’ planned final assembly site in Mobile for the U.S. Air Force aerial refueling tanker, should EADS and its partner, Northrop Grumman, win the contract.
“The facility we opened today is an exciting step to take with our friends in the Mobile community, which has a tremendously skilled workforce, and government and business leaders committed to continued growth,” said Dave Oliver, Chief Operating Officer of EADS North America. “We’ve enjoyed outstanding support here, and we look forward to our future together with this community.”
EADS is the parent company of Airbus, which opened an engineering center in 2007 at Mobile’s Brookley Industrial Complex to support a broad range of Airbus’ programs, including the A330, A350 XWB and A380.
EADS said the MRO site, which opened Thursday, “will provide North American operators of the C-212 and CN-235 tactical transports with the capabilities of a certified FAA Repair Station, as well as direct support from the aircraft manufacturer.”
Mobile Mayor Sam Jones spoke via video at the ceremony.
“We are extremely optimistic that Northrop Grumman/EADS will be the successful bidder in the tanker competition,” Jones said. “Therefore we are looking forward to a long and prosperous relationship with Airbus Military North America and its suppliers. Mobile is the right place for this company, and we’re elated that they believe in us.”
Northrop and EADS’ major competitor for the Air Force contract is the Boeing Co., which would assemble its 767 or 777 based tankers here in Everett.
The Air Force released its new tanker specifications last Friday and is expected to name a winner for the $35 billion contest next summer.
[Note an earlier version of this said that Mobile Mayor Sam Jones was on hand for the ceremony. He participated via video].
For more on the EADS’ opening, see the Press-Register story.
