LAKE CHARLES, Louisiana, September 3, 2013 – AAR CORP. (NYSE: AIR) has secured FAA approval to begin operating an aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Lake Charles, just weeks after announcing the agreement to lease the site.

The facility, which expands AAR’s capabilities for servicing wide-body aircraft, becomes the sixth hub in the Company’s 1MRO service delivery network. AAR is the largest independent provider of MRO services in North America. The FAA approval formally signifies that AAR is equipped with the tools, training, data and worthiness to commence operations.

“We appreciate the support of the FAA as well as the enthusiastic welcome AAR has received from Gov. Bobby Jindal, the Chennault International Airport Authority, Mayor Randy Roach and the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance,” said Dany Kleiman, Aviation Services Group Vice President – Repair, Engineering and Technology Products. “As a global aerospace leader, we are proud to be able to further invest in the region’s prosperity by offering good jobs to skilled workers, with great results for our customers.”

AAR initially will employ 250 people to work at the facility, located at the Chennault International Airport. It expects to employ an additional 500 by 2017 as it ramps up operations across approximately 520,000 square feet of service and administrative space. The facility can accommodate up to seven wide-body or 10 narrow-body aircraft. Construction is under way for an additional 118,000 square feet of space.

AAR also operates a parts logistics and distribution center at Chennault airport in support of the U.S. Air Force’s KC-10 program as part of a team led by Northrop Grumman.

The new facility joins AAR’s thriving 1MRO network, with hubs in Indianapolis, Miami, Oklahoma City, Duluth and Hot Springs, Arkansas. AAR is the No. 1 provider of MRO services in North America and one of the top 3 in the world, according to industry rankings.