Gov. Scott breaks ground on $43-million facility at Pensacola airport

Governor Rick Scott joined state, county and city officials to break ground on the long-awaited aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility for VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering (VT MAE) at Pensacola International Airport.

The 173,000-square-foot facility will cost $46 million and will sit on approximately 19 acres of property at the airport. The construction will last approximately 16 months, with the facility opening for operation in early 2018. VT MAE is expected to create 400 new jobs.

The Florida Department of Transportation and the Industry Recruitment, Retention and Expansion Fund have provided $30.8 million towards the project. VT MAE is investing $7.2 million. Escambia County has provided $8 million, of which the City will reimburse the county $2 million eventually.

“Florida’s international airports help welcome millions of visitors each year and attract major job creators like VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering to our state,” said Gov. Scott.

“Last week, I announced that the Pensacola area added more than 3,000 private-sector jobs over the year, and today, it’s exciting to announce the creation of 400 maintenance and engineering job opportunities for local families. We will continue working with state and local partners to cut taxes, grow our economy and make Florida first for jobs.”

General (Ret.) John G. Coburn, Chairman and CEO of VT Systems, said, “This has been a project long in the making and we are excited to finally break ground on such an important milestone. We look forward to the opportunities that this facility will bring, both to VT MAE and the city of Pensacola.”

The maintenance facility will accommodate two Boeing 777’s, or four Boeing 757’s, or six Airbus A-320 sized aircraft. VT MAE will hire skilled personnel including Master Airplane Technicians, Aircraft Inspectors, Master Structures Technicians, Sheet Metal Mechanics, and Avionics Technicians.

FloridaWest, Pensacola State College, Escambia County School District, and VT MAE have worked together to implement training programs to create a sustainable workforce.

Read more.