Marana-based Ascent Aviation Services broke ground Friday on two massive maintenance hangars at Pinal Air Park to perform airliner freight conversions for an Israeli company.
Gov. Katie Hobbs and local dignitaries were on hand to turn ceremonial spadesful of dirt at the construction site for the twin, 90,000-square-foot hangars, which are expected to employ an additional 300 workers when the buildings are completed in about 14 months.
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs gives her remarks at the Ascent Aviation Services groundbreaking ceremony on March 29.
The company announced last October that it would build the two hangars to handle work under a 15-year contract between Israel Aerospace Industries and Ascentβs Marana Aerospace to carry out passenger-to-freighter conversions on twin-engine Boeing 777-300ER long-haul aircraft starting next year.
Ascent, which has grown into one of the largest independent aircraft aftermarket services providers in the world, already employs more than 500 workers at Marana Aerospace and at a maintenance operation at Tucson International Airport.
The company estimates it will spend about $55 million on the new, tensioned-fabric hangars, which are being built by Constructable, a design-build firm based near Houston in The Woodlands, Texas.
Two 90,000-square-foot hangars being built by Ascent Aviation Services at Pinal Air Park are seen in this graphic rendering.
Ascent President and CEO David Querio said the hangar expansion reflects the companyβs long-standing commitment to grow its footprint in Southern Arizona.
βAscent continues to execute on our aggressive and methodical expansion of capabilities for our global network of customers,β he said.
Partners on the project include the governorβs office, Pinal County, the town of Marana, Sun Corridor Inc., the Arizona Commerce Authority and Pima County.
Find Ascent job listings at ascentmro.com.
