San Antonio aerospace companies have won several large bids since December, highlighting the local capabilities based in the area.
The Boeing Company announced this week that they have been awarded a contract bringing the F-18 Super Hornet fighter jets to San Antonio to begin overhaul work in 2019. Although the full value to San Antonio is not clear at this time, the US Navy has already awarded Boeing more than $73 million to modernize four of the jets, giving the jets a longer life from 6,000 flight hours to 9,000 flight hours. The work will be split between San Antonio; St. Louis, MO; and El Segundo, California once the contract is in full swing.
This announcement follows on the heels of one made by StandardAero last week in which they shared receiving a 20-year agreement with Rolls-Royce for aircraft engine maintenance, bringing additional jobs to Port San Antonio where the work will be done. The agreement is worth $15 billion and will include maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services for the AE 2100, AE 1107, and T56 engine models.
In January, StandardAero announced another contract with Rolls-Royce for its RB211-535E4 jet engines that power the Boeing 757, moving operations from the United Kingdom to Port San Antonio. These are part of a fleet of at least 1,000, of which half are currently in North America. This commercial contract was secured by StandardAero into 2040. In December, StandardAero earned an eight-year military contract, awarding more than $600 million for Rolls-Royce T56 engines that power C-130H military transport planes. This US Air Force contract to maintain these engines will begin in San Antonio in early 2019.
February brought a shared celebration for Boeing, AAR Aircraft Services, and StandardAero, winning a military defense contract for P-8 support. The P-8 Poseidon is a Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft used by the US Navy, the Government of Australia, and other military customers. The shared contract of more than $268.7 million will begin P-8A airframe, overhaul, and engine maintenance and repair in early January 2019.
Also in December, M7 Aerospace, a subsidiary of Elbit Systems of America, earned a one-year extendable contract starting at $25 million. Over five years, this contract would bring in more than $176 million to the San Antonio-based company.
The San Antonio Chamber of Commerce Aerospace Committee is the only organization of its kind in our region that gathers to discuss and work on issues to grow the industry, highlight its capabilities, and advocate for its needs. The Chamber congratulates our members for their recent successes and thanks them for their commitment to our community.
