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Inside The World's Largest Airline Owned Maintenance Base: American Airlines Tulsa
Inside American's Tulsa Engineering Center, the world's largest airline maintenance base, as it faces challenges and opportunities as AA renews its fleet and completes merger with US Airways. (airwaysnews.com) Más...Sort type: [Top] [Newest]
You have to wonder in a way, what with mx and Sabre up there, and an MD plant on the airport, that TUL wasn't chosen for the HQ when it was built. With the devaluation of China's money this morning, things won't be quite so cheap over there anymore and at some point and time, they might bring the 777's back home. As the story said, the announcement has not been made on the Buses yet but TUL is obvious. With the retirement of the mad dogs, that will open up space for work without having to expand it and I personally think before anything was ever done to it as far as a shutdown, major layoffs, or such, that they would go outside first. There is also the question of US's center at Pittsburg. If it is based on cost, those folks may be crying or looking at moving to Oklahoma. I do know of one 135/91 company that they did and still do heavy work for that was not owned by them but they only got 3 planes.
I read a book about AA's history 20 years ago, so my memory might be foggy here. CR Smith saw greater potential at Great Southwest Airport since the DFW area was a bit of an untapped market other than Love. Local government was also giving him a good deal. He also wanted the land where the Learning Center and SOC but his buddy refused to sell. During a poker game he convinced his (drunk) buddy to bet the land on a poker hand. CR won with 3 aces. The rest is history lol.
Not sure about the book but Jim Wright was the best thing that ever happened to North Texas, what with DFW and all. That was not an overnight success but it had a majority backing and eventually wound up killing Love field and allowing for the startup of a little thing called Southwest Airlines. To say that American grew with it is an understatement and while assets were at TUL, DFW mad senses as a hub and nice place to live.
I might add that there are bound to be people in the area that don't agree with my opinion of Mr. Wright. That said, he did what was needed for his district to prosper.
There was many a time when I was flying 48 weeks a year that I muttered Jim Wright's name under my breath as I hopped, skipped and jumped from Southwest flight to Southwest flight, or when I had to change planes, claim my baggage, check right back in for another flight and check my baggage (demo equipment), miss the next flight to my destination, then board the following flight to my destination. I am convinced that AA bribed Jim Wright who was the Speaker of the House in order to try to strangle Southwest. My personal opinion, of course, but I think Jim Wright was one crooked SOB.
He was, no doubt, but he used his power for his district, which is more than you can say for what is up there today.
"One aircraft, the newest 767-300ER at 11 years old, in AA’s fleet has only 46,000 hours on it. Remarkably it is still flying with 1 of its original engines."