Timco to open repair shop at airport
One of the nation's largest aircraft-maintenance contractors, Timco Aviation Services, will open an engine overhaul shop at Pittsburgh International Airport early next year, creating about 200 skilled jobs.
Timco, headquartered in Greensboro, N.C., plans to hire mechanics to repair and rebuild jet engines for major and regional airlines, aviation and state officials said Friday. About a third of the world's commercial aircraft are powered by CFM 56 engines, the type Timco would work on here.
An announcement is expected Monday from the state Department of Community and Economic Development.
Timco's pending arrival could renew officials' hopes that Pittsburgh International might become a maintenance hub for several airlines.
From 1999 to mid-2003, US Airways pushed the county to build a maintenance complex, threatening to slash service at the airport without such a facility. None was built, and US Airways cut Pittsburgh flights from 400 a day in early 2003 to about 225 today.
But the modern airport still could add maintenance facilities, said Allegheny County Airport Authority spokeswoman JoAnn Jenny.
Timco's airline clients are not expected to include US Airways.
"They might do work for United or some other airlines, but not our work," said Tim McCulloch, committeeman for International Association of Machinists Local 1976 in Moon, which represents the mechanics.
The union's contract requires US Airways to do heavy maintenance in-house on all Airbus and half of Boeing planes. But the agreement allows US Airways to move that work between the airline's bases in Charlotte, Philadelphia or elsewhere.
US Airways is transferring the jobs of 40 mechanics and five maintenance inspectors to its hub in Charlotte by February, said McCulloch.
"There's no job loss, just job relocation," said airline spokesman Phil Gee. He said Pittsburgh mechanics would get first crack at filling the jobs in Charlotte. It was not clear if those who declined to seek those jobs and became jobless would be eligible for severance.
Timco is taking over a Pittsburgh hangar currently leased by US Airways. The airport authority "chose not to honor our lease," said Gee. "We were given our 120 days' notice that we need to vacate the facility."
Authority spokeswoman Jenny declined to comment on the lease.
The hangar is where US Airways mechanics reassemble components on jet engines rebuilt for Boeing and Airbus aircraft.
"It's our work. We just lost the building," said McCulloch, who has been a US Airways mechanic for 20 years.
Founded in 1990, Timco provides maintenance, repair and overhaul services on Boeing, Airbus and other jet aircraft. Its primary facilities are in Macon, Ga.; Lake City, Fla.; Goodyear, Ariz.; and Greensboro.
The contractor might hire from among more than 400 local US Airways mechanics who are on furlough. Timco declined to discuss its plans yesterday.
Timco does the heavy maintenance on 143 Boeing and Airbus planes operated by America West Airlines. The airline merged with US Airways on Sept. 27, but the two airlines' operations won't be fully integrated for nearly two years. America West mechanics belong to the Teamsters, whose contract permits outsourced maintenance.
Timco is a nonunion company whose mechanics start at $15.50 an hour, compared to about $18 at US Airways.
