Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor 2019-2020
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7th EDITION GULF COAST AEROSPACE CORRIDOR 2019-2020 Key updates Mobile getting second aircraft assembly line Pensacola’s MRO campus growing New aviation training opportunities launched NASA planning huge technology park F-22s gone, more F-35s for the Gulf Coast Aviation base values nearly $23 billion DoD contracts 2000-2017 top $95.5 billion June 2019 Latest airport enplanement figures Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor 2019-2020 – 1 About us The Gulf Coast Reporters’ League was established in 2011 by four journalists to provide research on aerospace activities along the Gulf Coast Interstate 10 region. First published in June 2011 as an annual, it shifted to biennial publication after the fifth edition. The 2019-2020 edition provides updated information from this ongoing research. The region’s aerospace activities are tracked daily through Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor’s news feed (www.gcacnews.blogspot.com), weekly through a column (www.gcacperspectives.blogspot.com ) and bimonthly via a newsletter found at our website www.gulfcoastaerospacecorridor.com . Acknowledgements Support for the research and compilation of this report was provided by the following organizations (alphabetical order): Aerospace Alliance Airbus Enterprise Florida FloridaWest Gulf Power Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport Pensacola International Airport Researched, written and prepared by the Gulf Coast Reporters’ League, an independent team of current and former journalists. Support for this project was provided by our underwriters. Find- ings detailed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect views of the organizations or agencies that appear in this publication or provide support. This book is available as a free PDF download. Printed versions are available from Lulu.com, a print-on-demand service. All rights reserved. Cover photos, top left, Airbus jetliner at Mobile Aeroplex (Airbus photo); top center, student uses virtual reality tools at National Flight Academy, (NFA photo); top right, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter refueled (U.S. Air Force photo), bottom left, night-time view of Space Launch System (NASA illustration) Version 06/10/2019 Copyright © 2019-2020 by Tortorano Commissioned Publications Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor 2019-2020 – 2 Contents Executive summary 4 Footprint, training expanding A steady stream of new projects and expansions continue in the region, and all the while pressure builds to train a quality workforce Chapter I: Assembly, maintenance 12 An area now on the fast track A second passenger jet assembly line in Mobile and a growing maintenance, repair and overhaul campus in Pensacola make this area a job hotspot Chapter II: Space 23 The investment frontier The $345 billion space enterprise has government and commercial players, and this region has a foot in both worlds Chapter III: Military aviation 36 Military aviation key to region Damage from a hurricane altered one base’s mission, but the region is still a multibillion-dollar military aviation fortress Chapter IV: Education pipeline Can aviation pipeline be filled? The region has the attention of the aerospace industry, and it’s taking steps to show it can train a quality workforce 47 Chapter V: Airports 60 Growth in airports, economy In an era when the region is growing its aviation activities, airports with their runways play a particularly valuable role Chapter VI: The four states Aerospace in the four states The I-10 corridor has plenty of aviation assets, and they are in four states that 73 combined is one of the world’s largest Library/research Previous book chapters, sidebars, newsletters and articles 91 Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor 2019-2020 – 3 Executive summary Alabama Florida Mississippi Louisiana GCAC illustration, Google Earth map Footprint, training expanding he purpose of this research and the U.S. aerospace & defense industry resulting book is to provide a frame- work to understand aerospace and Sales (2017) $865 billion aviation activities in the region be- U.S. jobs (2017) 2.4 billion tweenT Southeast Louisiana and Northwest Florida. And what do we mean by framework? Direct jobs (2017) 843,000 It’s one thing to know jetliners are built in Source: Aerospace Industries Association , 2018 Facts & Mobile, Ala. Another to realize final assembly Figures, U.S. Aerospace & Defense Industry work on another type of aircraft is done 35 miles away in Moss Point, Miss. It’s a matter of In the two years since the last Gulf Coast context - know what is going on in your back Aerospace Corridor book was published in yard and the neighbor’s back yard. 2017, announcements and expansions have This year’s edition provides additional con- increased the aerospace and aviation footprint text by looking at aerospace and aviation activi- along the Gulf Coast Interstate 10 corridor. ties in all four states of which this region is a Mobile began work on a second passenger jet part. It makes it all the more clear the unique assembly line, this one for the A220. ST Engi- role of the Interstate 10 region, the only area neering Aerospace is quadrupling the size of its where the economic interests of all four of maintenance, repair and overhaul campus in those states come together. Pensacola, Fla. Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor 2019-2020 – 4 Executive summary ing the interest of students in aerospace, is now Aerospace activities at a glance involved in workforce training. Rocket and jet engine testing Education leaders across the region as well as Rocket engine, satellite assembly in the broader states are putting in place the Piston engine assembly tools necessary to meet the growing need for Unmanned aerial system plant aerospace and aviation workers. It has, indeed, Areas approved for unmanned flights been a busy two years. Jetliner final assembly lines Maintenance, repair and overhaul hangars Economic development leaders have good Military pilot, maintainer training reason to target aerospace. It’s an economic Military electronics/cyber training jewel, a multibillion-dollar, research intense, Aviation specialties training innovative enterprise that produces technologi- National Guard aerial combat center cally advanced aircraft, space and defense sys- National Guard helicopter repair depot tems. It involves civilian and military activities Restricted land and water ranges and uses talent ranging from those who design Aerial weapons RDT&E aircraft and those who assemble them to those Applied geospatial technologies who fly and maintain them. Workers are highly Human-machine cognition research skilled and the pay is better than average. Advanced manufacturing research “The Gulf Coast aerospace corridor has all 43-acre manufacturing plant the right conditions for future growth,” said Aerospace/technology parks Richard Aboulafia of the Teal Group. “A pro- Technology transfer offices business environment, strong political support Business incubators for the industry, and great working conditions all mean good things for the future.” Neal Wade, chairman of the four-state Aero- To the west at Stennis Space Center (SSC), space Alliance, takes an even broader view and Miss., NASA is well underway in developing a sees the same thing happening throughout Ala- 1,000-acre technology park designed to attract bama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. aerospace tenants who do not want to go “The Gulf Coast region continues to enjoy through the tight security procedures required excellent growth in aerospace projects and jobs to set up an operation inside SSC itself. as commercial and defense opportunities ex- One of the most notable parts of the past two pand worldwide,” he said. “As one of the larg- years has been the doubling down on efforts to est aerospace corridors in the world, the Aero- provide education and training for those inter- space Alliance states are fully committed to en- ested in the aerospace and aviation field. Airbus hancing their role in supporting such growth.” launched two training programs - one for high All four states have significant aerospace and school students, another for non-students with defense activities, and combined they rank as no aerospace experience who want to work for the fourth largest aerospace region in the coun- the company. try, according to the Aerospace Alliance. Work is continuing on Flight Works Alabama Florida is the No. 2 state in the nation for in Mobile, a hands-on aerospace education cen- aerospace, aviation and space establishments, ter that is also involved in education along with with more than 2,000 companies employing nine academic partners. 82,000-plus workers. And the National Flight Academy in Pen- Florida’s best-known aerospace and aviation sacola, which has focused for six years on piqu- activity is the Space Coast, home to Kennedy Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor 2019-2020 – 5 Executive summary Hattiesburg Dothan Crestview Mobile Milton Stennis Space Moss Ft. Walton Kiln Point Center Biloxi Foley Beach Slidell Gulfport Pensacola Bay St. Pascagoula Louis Panama City New Orleans GCAC illustration, Google Earth map Space Center, Cape Canaveral and Patrick Air level of aerospace engineers, and a local quo- Force Base. Since the earliest days of the space tient of 33.11 - 33 times the national level. race this is the location where Americans ven- Alabama, which is 19th in the PwC Aero- tured into space. It’s also where private space space Manufacturing Attractiveness rankings, companies have set up operations to leverage has more than 400 companies engaged in the idled NASA facilities. aerospace and defense sectors. In addition to being a gateway to space, it’s Mississippi, perhaps best-known for its the air traffic hub for the western hemisphere, a NASA rocket engine test site in South Missis- center for flight training and home to aircraft sippi, has become a key player in the growing and component manufacturing. field of unmanned aerial vehicles. The state is No. 1 in the nation for mainte- Aurora Flight Sciences, Northrop Grumman nance, repair and overhaul facilities with more Unmanned Systems and Stark Aerospace all than 600 statewide.