According to the San Antonio aerospace industry study's economic impact in 2010, published by the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, the local aerospace industry includes a range of businesses that manufacture aircraft equipment and parts, service and repair aircraft, produce and distribute transportation equipment and supplies, provide both scheduled and unscheduled air transportation, and operate flight schools. The industry's growth over time has been dramatic and consistent. It has grown 440% over 20 years, 260% over the past 15 years, and almost 75% over the past 10 years. Though there was a slight dip between 2008 and 2010, the industry posted 10% growth over the 2006-2010 period, an especially challenging time in the national economy.

Industry Highlights

• In 2010, the Texas Workforce Commission reported 8,558 aerospace employees in the San Antonio region. When the military workforce is added, it brings the estimated employemnt for 2010 to 13,616.

• Jobs in the aerospace industry are among the best paying in the area. According to the Texas Workforce Commission, the 2010 average wage of employees in the aerospace industry was $58,729.

• According to the 2010 study by the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, the economic impact of the aerospace industry was $5.4B.

• Programs like the Alamo Area Aerospace Academy, operating in close cooperation with industry, have created essential pipelines between high school and aerospace employers. Open to area high school students, the Aerospace Academy offers both classroom instruction and real-world expereince through full-time paid summer internships. Graduates are capable of hitting the ground running - and are more than half-way to qualifying for their Federal Aviation Administration Airframe & Powerplant Mechanics' certificates upon leaving high school.

The San Antonio area has a number of dynamic aerospace related industry activities, including the following:

• Port San Antonio (PSA) – formerly Kelly Air Force Base – is now a 1,900-acre aerospace complex and international logistics platform and is designated as a Foreign Trade Zone. In May 2008, it was estimated that PSA had a $3.3 billion economic impact and helped employ nearly 23,000 workers in San Antonio. Aviation and aerospace tenants include Boeing Aerospace Support Center, Pratt & Whitney, BAE Systems, and Standard Aero. Boeing, an anchor tenant, recently announced it will bring the 787 Dreamliner to PSA for version upgrades and will add approximately 440 new employees. In April 2008, the Air Force (AF) concluded a lease-back agreement involving over 12 PSA facilities to house up to 2,800 personnel with the AF Real Property Agency and AF Medical Operations.

• Kelly Aviation Center (KAC), L.P. is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin, General Electric Aviation, and Rolls Royce, and is located at Port San Antonio. The KAC facility was established as a Center of Excellence for Military Engine MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul). The public-private teaming of KAC and the U.S. Air Force's Oklahoma City AirLogistics Center is considered the epitome of a successful public-private venture. The teaming arrangement has recently grown to include the DoD's Defense Logistics Agency, resulting in their first major commercialization effort.

• Brooks City-Base – formerly Brooks AFB – is a 1,246-acre premier center for bioscience, academic, environmental, and technical research. This master-planned research and technology center is the result of a unique partnership between the U.S. Air Force and the City of San Antonio, in which the City manages the property and the Air Force is a tenant. The site houses the headquarters for the Air Force Center for Environmental Excellence and the School of Aerospace Medicine, which continue to aid the advancement of manned flight, aerospace medicine, and war-fighter capabilities. Other tenants include San Antonio city departments, Jacobs Engineering and Grubb Engineering.

• Two active air force bases are located in San Antonio. Randolph AFB is the headquarters for Air Education and Training Command and the Air Force Military Personnel Center and one of the Air Force's most active flight training installations. Lackland AFB performs Air Force Basic Training, and is the Air Force's largest training wing, graduating nearly 90,000 students annually.

Aerospace and Aviation Companies in San Antonio MSA: