Why ST Aero Chooses Florida

ST Aerospace's U.S. subsidiary VT Systems plans to build a greenfield MRO facility in Pensacola, Florida that will hold two widebody aircraft. The facility, expected to open in mid-2016, could handle most aircraft types except for the Airbus A380 (also in part because Pensacola airport's runway is 8,000 ft., which is tad short for that aircraft).

Why Pensacola, when VT Systems already operates big MRO facilities in Mobile, Alabama and in San Antonio, Texas? Mobile itself operates out of eight hangars and isn't too far away from Pensacola.

Two of the big reasons: The city of Pensacola will construct the hangar complex and lease it to VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering for 30 years--so there's some economic incentive. And, two, the Mobile facility is running close to capacity--so this will serve as a satellite facility--yet leverage Mobile's resources and scale.