Compass Airlines to build aircraft maintenance facility at Louisville International Airport

(CAPA) Compass Airlines, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Northwest Airlines, announced plans to construct an aircraft maintenance facility at Louisville International Airport.

The USD9.85 million maintenance facility will include three aircraft bays and will handle scheduled maintenance for the carrier’s new fleet of 76-seat Embraer E-175 regional jet aircraft. Compass expects the Louisville maintenance facility to create up to 70 new jobs when construction is completed in Fall of 2008.

“Today’s announcement is the first step in the completion of another major milestone for Compass Airlines. In 2007, Compass employees have worked extremely hard to achieve FAA certification, the airlines’ first revenue flight and the carrier’s first flights with the new state-of-the-art E-175 aircraft. These efforts, combined with completion of the Louisville maintenance facility will provide Compass with the solid foundation needed to ensure a successful future,” said John Bendoraitis, president.

Several locations were considered for the facility, but the Northwest Airlines Louisville service schedule and the city’s proximity to the Northwest hubs of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Detroit and Memphis made Louisville the ideal location for Compass to perform its scheduled aircraft maintenance.

Design of the new facility is expected to be completed later this year with construction beginning in Spring of 2008.

Compass operates 76-seat E-175 regional jet aircraft, and by the end of 2008, will have 36 E-175 aircraft in the Compass fleet.