Wichita Region Well Positioned for MRO Expansion

Written by Emily Younger

The Air Capital of the World is seeing an increase in maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) activity thanks to the region’s high-quality workforce, robust talent pipeline and abundance of on-and-off-airfield properties.

The Partnership’s participation at MRO Americas in Atlanta from April 18-20 provided an opportunity to connect with more than 15,000 MRO industry experts and leaders from around the globe some of which are poised to expand into and invest in the region.

“A key differentiator for South-Central Kansas is the abundance and availability of aircraft workers,” said Partnership Executive Vice President of Economic Development Andrew Nave.

Nave, who attended the event and met with several expanding MRO and component parts companies, said the region’s strong pipeline of airframe and powerplant mechanics combined with a comprehensive aviation ecosystem positions the Wichita region for continued success.

“The team spoke all week about the pipeline of A&P mechanics and workers coming from WSU Tech and our regional universities, colleges and Career Technical Education programs,” Nave said. “Being connected to thousands of experts in the MRO industry is critical for our strategies of diversifying and evolving our aerospace strength in the region.”

The Partnership was joined at MRO Americas by the Wichita Airport Authority, WSU NIAR WERX and Jet AirWerks. The team also cheered on WSU Tech and NIAR WERX in the Aerospace Maintenance Competition, a competition celebrating maintenance professionals.