Plans To Bring On 50 Workers At Maintenance Center

Albuquerque, NM-based planemaker Eclipse Aviation says it will double the number of workers it originally planned to hire for a maintenance facility at Albany International Airport.

According to the Albany Business Review, Eclipse will hire 50 workers for the facility, which is scheduled to open sometime in early 2008.

"They've made a lot of promises to their clients," said airport Economic Development Manager Denise Zieske.

As ANN reported, Eclipse announced it would locate its Northeast service center in Albany in October 2005. The company had planned to open the facility -- one of seven Factory Service Centers located throughout the US -- in late 2006, but that timeframe was delayed due to the wait to get the aircraft certified.

Eclipse has hired General Manager John DiVito to run the Albany facility. The workers will be hired at an upcoming job fair, according to Eclipse spokesman Andrew Broom, though no date has been set as yet.

Zieske says Eclipse should find a large number of aviation technicians eager to stay close to Albany, instead of commuting to jobs at other airports. "We think there is a labor pool here," she said.

The hangar is expected to be finished next month. The airport built the facility for Eclipse, and financed it through a mix of bonds and a $1.5 million grant.

FMI: www.eclipseaviation.com