Flying high: AgustaWestland has announced plans to assemble a new tiltrotor model at its 39-acre Red Lion Road plant. PHOTO COURTESY OF AGUSTAWESTLAND
The Northeast’s role as a leading hub of civilian aircraft manufacture and maintenance for the Americas is growing, as locally based AgustaWestland has announced plans to assemble a new tiltrotor model at its 39-acre Red Lion Road plant.
The AW609 is in testing and certification phase but will be fully integrated into AgustaWestland Philadelphia’s operations by late summer or early fall, the company disclosed on March 3. The local facility, which is adjacent to Northeast Airport, will be the international firm’s first final assembly line for the AW609. Plans call for a second final assembly line to open in Italy at a later date.
Tiltrotor aircraft are powered by one or more tilting engine pods with so-called “proprotors” that can be configured to lift the vehicle from the ground vertically and to propel it forward horizontally. The aircraft can also land vertically. The AW609 is the only tiltrotor in development for civilian use, according to AgustaWestland.
Almost 60 of the aircraft have been pre-ordered for use in offshore transportation, EMS and patient transfer, search and rescue, VIP transport and parapublic operations, the company said. AgustaWestland anticipates Federal Aviation Administration certification of the aircraft in 2017.
The company reported that it plans to expand its 275,000-square-foot Northeast facility along with its workforce of 560 people to accommodate the AW609 project.
One day earlier, AgustaWestland announced the appointment of former Pennsylvania Gov. and U.S. Department of Homeland Security secretary Tom Ridge to the company’s board of directors.
Ridge’s involvement “will result in a more precise focus on ways in which we highlight key product and program differentiators important to federal and state government and private sector customers,” AgustaWestland Philadelphia CEO Bill Hunt said.
Of the expansion, Mayor Michael Nutter said, “As one of the city’s most innovative and global companies, we are tremendously excited that this new cutting edge aircraft will be manufactured by AgustaWestland in Philadelphia.”
Hunt previously served as co-chair of Nutter’s Manufacturing Task Force alongside City Councilman Bobby Henon, Citizens Bank CEO Dan Fitzpatrick (who also serves as Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce CEO) and Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Alan Greenberger.
“It is particularly encouraging that manufacturing companies such as AgustaWestland and Dietz and Watson are expanding their presence adding to the 23,000 manufacturing jobs that support communities across Philadelphia,” Greenberger said.
Henon and City Councilman Brian O’Neill, whose district includes the AgustaWestland site, released a joint statement:
“We are showing the world that Philadelphia can and will make things again — that manufacturing is growing and becoming an ever-increasing piece of our economic future. … This is another substantial step forward for the continued growth of manufacturing and industry in the Philadelphia region and the family-sustaining jobs that follow,” the council members stated. ••
