Everett, Washington (October 21, 2014) ― Aviation Technical Services (ATS) has reached an agreement with its longtime customer Southwest Airlines to provide Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services to the carrier at its newly‐acquired and renovated facility at Kansas City International Airport (MCI). The work will begin later this year and will take place over the course of the next three years.
Over the course of several decades, Southwest has been bringing its planes to ATS’ location on Paine Field in Everett, Washington. The expansion to Kansas City is a good fit for Southwest, where the carrier operates 67 daily nonstop flights to 26 destinations.
“We’ve worked with Southwest at our Everett location for what will be 40 years in January and are looking forward to serving them in Kansas City,” says Matt Yerbic, ATS President and CEO. “Over our tenured partnership, ATS has redelivered many Southwest jets after performing modifications, repair, overhaul, or engineering services.”
“ATS is one of our long‐time partners, so that combined with the convenience of the new Kansas City facility made this an easy decision,” said Landon Nitschke, Southwest’s vice president maintenance operations. “It falls very centrally to our domestic U.S. route system, so we are confident this will be a great addition to our provider network.”
About Aviation Technical Services
ATS has been providing maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services for commercial and military aircraft for more than 40 years. Today, ATS is home to more than 1,000 employees who work together to support a global customer base across three major business platforms: Airframe Services; Components Services; Engineering Services. From a base of operations in Everett, Washington and now with facilities in Moses Lake, Washington and Kansas City, Missouri, FAA Class IV Airframe and Class 1, 2 and 3 accessory ratings enable ATS to perform MRO services on virtually any transport aircraft in the world. ATS is a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) certified by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC®). For more information, visit atsmro.com.
About Southwest Airlines Company
In its 44th year of service, Dallas‐based Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV) continues to differentiate itself from other carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than 45,000 Employees to more than 100 million Customers annually. Based on the most recent data available from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Southwest is the nation’s largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded. The airline also operates the largest fleet of Boeing aircraft in the world to serve 93 destinations in 40 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and five near‐international countries. Some flights are operated by wholly owned subsidiary AirTran Airways. Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world, known for its triple bottom line approach that takes into account the carrier’s performance and productivity, the importance of its People and the communities it serves, and its commitment to efficiency and the planet. The 2013 Southwest Airlines One Report™ can be found at southwest.com/citizenship.
From its first flights on June 18, 1971, Southwest Airlines launched an era of unprecedented affordability in air travel described by the U.S. Department of Transportation as “The Southwest Effect,” a lowering of fares and increase in passenger traffic wherever the carrier serves. With Southwest Airlines, Bags Fly Free ® (first and second checked pieces of luggage, size and weight limits apply), and there are no change fees (fare difference may apply) when you need to change your flight. Southwest’s fleet offers leather seating and the comfort of full‐size cabins, a majority of which are equipped with satellite‐based WiFi connectivity over the United States, which enables live and video‐on‐demand TV currently FREE compliments of DISH, and a new, sustainable cabin interior. Southwest acquired AirTran Airways in May 2011 and by the end of 2014 intends to complete the full integration of the AirTran network into Southwest. With 41 consecutive years of profitability, the People of Southwest and AirTran operate more than 3,600 flights a day. Southwest Airlines’ frequent flights and low fares are available online at southwest.com or by phone at 800‐I‐FLY‐SWA.
