Contact: Shana Stribling 202.224.0309
Wednesday, October 22, 2003

WASHINGTON, DC Senator Kit Bond today announced that the Kansas City Maintenance Base will remain open after an agreement was reached with American Airlines, saving thousands of jobs in Kansas City.

"Early this summer we learned that the future of this facility was in jeopardy. American was poised to close one of three maintenance facilities, and Kansas City was on the chopping block. In response, I began to work with American, Mayor Barnes and Kansas City Aviation Director Russ Widmar to see how we could combine forces to save these 2,300 jobs," said Bond.

Back in July Bond, as a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, sent a letter promising $5 million in Federal appropriations for repairs to the Kansas City facility if American maintained those jobs. "Today I give great credit to the competency and workmanship of the employees at the Kansas City facility. I salute those employees and the City for their efforts. Now I can and will follow through on my promise," said Bond.

Bond learned from officials at American Airlines that an understanding has been reached with the city of Kansas City and the state of Missouri. Under the plan, the company would sign a 25-year lease for its wide-body hangar and associated shops at its Kansas City Maintenance Base, where maintenance work is done on the company's wide-body fleet.

According to American Airlines, the understanding with Kansas City and Missouri would complete American's plans for allocating work more efficiently among its three overhaul bases – Kansas City, Fort Worth and Tulsa. American had considered closing one of its three bases to adjust for the reduction over the past two years in its fleet size.

Kit Bond is Missouri’s senior Senator and is now in his third term after having served the state previously during two terms as Governor.