ATS Opens KC Facility, Signs New Contracts

Matt Yerbic251Aviation Technical Services (ATS) formally opened its newly‐ renovated 607,000‐square‐foot MRO complex at Kansas City International Airport (MCI) with a ribbon‐cutting and positive customer news on July 24, 2014.

The private celebration welcomed Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, Airport Director Mark VanLoh, other community leaders, invited guests, employees and their family members and business partners.

Two of those business partners, Hawaiian Airlines and Air Canada, officially committed programs to the ATS‐KC facility. Hawaiian’s agreement for Boeing 767 heavy maintenance was formally signed earlier last week. This contract initially involves two nose‐to‐tail heavy checks beginning in September 2014 and has the opportunity to turn into a longer term, exclusive agreement. ATS recently completed a series of Airbus A330 interior modifications for Hawaiian Airlines at its facility in Everett, Washington, adding to the partnership. ATS was awarded Air Canada’s exclusive agreement for Boeing 787 modifications before the event’s formal program. The four‐year contract solidifies and extends a previous version that had three 787s completed at the ATS facility in Everett, Wash., earlier this year. The remaining 34 events will be inducted into the Kansas City facility starting in September 2014 and extending through 2018.

“Selecting Aviation Technical Services for these 767 heavy checks was a natural fit for our network and fleet given ATS’s extensive knowledge of the 767 as well as our recent success on the A330 modifications,” said Lorrin Sardinha, vice president of Maintenance and Engineering at Hawaiian Airlines. “We look forward to our continued partnership.”

Air Canada’s vice president of Maintenance, Alan Butterfield, added, “Working with ATS on this next generation of technology is reassuring, and we are looking forward to continuing this important partnership.”

`“This is a great day for ATS, our customers and the extended Kansas City community. The ATS team, the Aviation Department and Metropolitan Community College aligned well to get this operation up and running in just a few months—including a complete renovation of this hangar,” said Matt Yerbic, president and CEO of ATS.

“I’d like to sincerely thank Governor Nixon, the State of Missouri, including the Missouri Partnership and the Missouri Department of Economic Development, the City of Kansas City, Missouri, the Kansas City Missouri Economic Development Corporation, Platte County Economic Development Council and the Kansas City Area Development Council and many others for coming together to reignite the tradition of aviation in this area for airline customers and skilled aerospace workers, alike. Since we took the keys to the building, I’m proud to report that over 70 technicians and support folks have joined the ATS‐KC team and we’re continuing to hire. The fact that these flagship carriers [Hawaiian and Air Canada] have confirmed their commitment to this facility today is very exciting,” he added.

Leave a Reply