AgustaWestland have taken a lease on 98,851 square feet of space at Arlington Airport in Texas, and are intending building a further 7,000 sq.ft.

The lease allows the building to be used for “Aircraft sales, engineering and design, flight testing, and aircraft maintenance” and  “any other aviation related activity or incidental uses in connection with any aviation related activity, upon prior written approval of the City’s Airport Manager” with a few small exceptions.  The agreement is for five years with a further option for a second period of five years.  The text of the lease can be seen here

A press release from the airport authority notes this – Agusta US, Inc., a subsidiary of an Italian company, plans to invest $3.5 million to renovate an existing hangar/office building on the east side and construct an adjacent 7,000 square-foot office building. The company will employ 125 professional and skilled technical workers to continue to develop the commercial tilt-rotor aircraft.

Evidently the aim is to ensure that engineers previously involved in the Bell part of the Bell/AgustaWestland partnership will be retained now that AW have acquired the whole program (see HeliHub.com story)

Jeremy Parkin – HeliHub.com