StandardAero expands Augusta, Georgia business aviation MRO facility

Working with the Augusta Regional Airport (AGS), Augusta Economic Development Authority (AEDA), and the State of Georgia, StandardAero is adding an 80,500ft² hangar expansion at the company’s Augusta Business Aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility. Construction is expected to be completed in 2025.

“The new facility will add more than 60% of new space to our existing footprint,” says Chris Bodine, VP/GM of StandardAero’s Augusta facility. “The new facility will allow us to support additional super mid-size to large cabin aircraft for airframe and avionics while also significantly expanding our engine shop to further support many of those aircraft.”

StandardAero Business Aviation President Tony Brancato adds, “The expansion will allow us to work on larger Dassault, Gulfstream, and Bombardier aircraft and also meet the rapidly growing MRO needs of HTF7000 series engine operators.”

Herbert L. Judon Jr., AGS’s executive director, notes, “This project is the largest business development announcement in generations. This expansion is a key building block for future airport growth.”

Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson adds, “This expansion will lead to increased economic impact, job creation, and career pathways for our youth.”

To get the facility built, the AGS Airport/AEDA secured a grant for site prep work and construction, and throughout a 10-year period, the State of Georgia will apply job tax credits for incremental employees added to the site plus additional incentives.

StandardAero is owned by the global investment firm Carlyle. https://standardaero.com; https://augustaeda.org; https://carlyle.com; https://flyags.com; https://georgia.gov

Honeywell introduces AI-enabled MRO software

Honeywell Forge Performance+ for Aerospace is a cloud-based platform using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to help commercial aerospace manufacturing and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facilities modernize production and lower operational costs through digitalization. Honeywell Forge Performance+ for Aerospace combines predictive maintenance, site optimization, and workforce intelligence into one solution.

“During a time of increasing workplace complexity and operating costs, operators need to be able to leverage data to inform critical decision making and embrace automation,” says Karen Miller, general manager, Honeywell Connected Aerospace. “As the aviation industry grapples with issues such as aging fleets, higher maintenance costs, and ongoing supply chain challenges, Honeywell Forge Performance+ for Aerospace can help organizations achieve key outcomes such as quicker turnarounds, increased asset utilization, and decreased maintenance times.”

Michael Rowe, vice president Aerospace & Defense at industry analyst firm Frost & Sullivan, says, “A smaller MRO team may have more than 1,200 open maintenance actions to tackle. Instead of focusing initially on work that seems easiest to complete, software solutions such as Honeywell Forge Performance+ for Aerospace can enable companies to first address those tasks with the highest impact on operations that improve productivity and decrease costly downtime.”

Honeywell will expand Honeywell Forge Performance+ for Aerospace by adding FedRAMP, a defense-compliant version of the platform providing services and solutions tailored to the defense industry. https://www.honeywellforge.ai