Confirms plan for maintenance work in 2019

DynCorp confirmed on Tuesday what local airport officials had hinted at in recent weeks: The company plans to put people to work in Andalusia in the Standard Aero/Vector facility at South Alabama Regional Airport.

In October, SARA Executive Director Jed Blackwell said that a company had received a contract for upgrades to military aircraft, and planned to do part of that work locally. But that wasn’t confirmed until yesterday, when DynCorp International (DI) said in a press release it has been awarded a $152 million contract from the Naval Air Systems Command to provide logistics support services and material for the maintenance of TH-57 aircraft. The contract has a two-year base period and two option years.

DI will provide organizational (O-level), intermediate (I-level), and depot level (D-level) maintenance for the U.S. Navy TH-57 helicopters. The O- and I- level maintenance work will be performed at Naval Air Station Whiting Field in Florida, and D-level maintenance work will be performed at DI’s Andalusia facility.

Blackwell said earlier this year that as soon as Standard Aero announced last spring it was leaving SARA, that Covington County Economic Development Commission Executive Director Rick Clifton and Mayor Earl Johnson got to work looking for another company to locate here.

“We welcome the work to be performed at the South Alabama Regional Airport and appreciate its impact on our local economy,” Clifton said.

Johnson said, “We in Andalusia are excited about DynCorp selecting SARA to execute their new maintenance, overhaul and repair contract. This means new high paying jobs for our community. We look forward to DynCorp becoming the latest aviation company to settle in Andalusia. Our sacrifice and hard work is paying off for our community.”

Commission Chairman Greg White said the commission is pleased to welcome DynCorp.

“We are excited to have a Company of this caliber, and with the long history of DynCorp, join our business community and provide opportunity to our folks in Covington County,” White said. “We look forward to working with the leadership team from DynCorp to make their operation here a success in every way!”

Opp Mayor Becky Bracke said, “Investing in the hangar facility at the airport was all about jobs. The airport is one of our biggest economic development assets and seeing our investment payoff is very rewarding.”

DynCorp International is headquartered in McLean, Va.