Boeing invests in new facility at Jacksonville’s Cecil Airport to provide sustainment for military aviation through MRO operations.
29 October 2021: Boeing is all set to begin the construction of a new 370,000 square foot maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility located at Cecil Airport. Construction is anticipated to be completed in 2023. The facility will include eight new hangars, additional work space and offices where Boeing maintainers, engineers and data analysts will support US Navy and Air Force aircraft. The facility’s close proximity to Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Boeing’s Training Systems Center of Excellence in west Jacksonville, and local academic institutions make it a leading location for the development and delivery of innovative product support, underpinned by collaborative research and engineering.
Governor Ron DeSantis said, “Today’s groundbreaking is another milestone in Florida’s historic role of supporting every aspect of the mission fulfilled by our men and women in uniform. Boeing’s decision to invest in new facilities at Jacksonville’s Cecil Airport to provide sustainment for the military through modification, repair, and overhaul affirms our state’s role as the leader in aerospace and will result in the creation of new, high-skilled jobs that will enhance our workforce.”
Ted Colbert, president and CEO of Boeing Global Services said, “With this physical growth comes the ability to meet the evolving needs of our nation’s servicemen and women. The Boeing team in Jacksonville are experts at performing complex military aircraft modifications, and we’re excited to partner with our customer to tackle what’s next in the MRO space, like using data analytics to help minimize aircraft downtime, or applying digital tools to optimize and integrate our support approach.”
The groundbreaking ceremony celebrates a 25-year lease agreement between Boeing and the Jacksonville Aviation Authority (JAA). Under the agreement, the JAA will construct and lease to Boeing new facilities on approximately 30 acres located on the northeast side of Cecil Airport, near Boeing’s existing MRO site.
Jacksonville Aviation Authority (JAA) CEO Mark VanLoh said, “This is the largest development project in the history of Cecil Airport. Once completed, Boeing’s new facility will bring more high-paying jobs to the region, elevate Northeast Florida’s standing in the aerospace industry and position Cecil as one of the country’s best airports for aviation-related development.”
Since opening its existing MRO facilities at Cecil Airport in 1999, Boeing teammates have maintained, modified and upgraded 1,030 aircraft for the US Navy and Marine Corps, including the F/A-18 A-D Hornet, F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler. The Boeing team at the site also converts F/A-18 Super Hornets into flight demonstration aircraft for the US Navy’s Blue Angel squadron as well as modifies retired F-16s into the next generation of autonomous aerial targets for the US Air Force. The facility is also home to a Flight Control Repair Center that provides structural repairs to F/A-18 A-F and EA-18G flight control surfaces.
