Commercial Jet 400,000-square-foot MRO facility targets narrowbody aircraft passenger-to-cargo conversions

DOTHAN, Ala., 28 April 2013. Aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) specialist Commercial Jet in Miami has opened a 400,000-square-foot MRO facility at Dothan Regional Airport (DHN) in Dothan, Ala., which more than triples the company's capacity to provide freighter conversion and MRO services.

Opening Commercial Jet's MRO center is part of a $12 million airport renovation to be completed this year, company officials say.

Commercial Jet's maintenance facility includes several hangars, back shops, stores, and offices, with apron space for aircraft parking and servicing.

Commercial Jet officials say they plan to hire several hundred aircraft technicians within the next few years. "We are already getting a flow of orders for our facility, which will be open for business as soon as May of this year," says John Schildroth, vice president and general manager for the Dothan facility.

With Commercial Jet's 177,000-square-foot facility at Miami International Airport at full capacity, investing in the Dothan facility was a major step forward in response to the growing demand for passenger-to-freighter conversions for Boeing 737-300/400 and the newly certified MD-80SF freighter, says Commercial Jet President David Sandri.

"Now, we can run many more conversion and maintenance lines with ample ramp area for parking and preparing aircraft to bring into the hangars," he says. "We also are adding a purpose-built paint hangar."

For more information contact Commercial Jet online at www.commercialjet.com, or Dothan Regional Airport at www.flydothan.com

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