AASHTO Journal - N.C. Global TransPark Adds Aircraft Maintenance Hub

The U.S. Navy ceremonially opened a new aircraft maintenance facility at the North Carolina Global TransPark; a 2,500-acre multimodal industrial park located in Kinston, NC, that provides access to major East Coast and transatlantic markets, over 500 development-ready acres, rail access with transload capability, on-site aerospace and advanced manufacturing education and custom workforce training.

[Above photo by NCDOT]

TransPark operates as an official division of the North Carolina Department of Transportation and functions under the direct supervision of NCDOT’s secretary.

The U.S. Navy said it selected TransPark because it could accommodate a facility large enough to maintain and repair large military aircraft and the park was centrally located on the East Coast, which maximizes the branch’s military readiness.

[Editor’s note: In May, NCDOT helped establish a new academy for Lenoir Community College students seeking careers in aviation at TransPark. Officially called the Aviation Center for Excellence, the new academy offers a variety of courses – such as aviation management and aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul – along with other coursework that will prepare students to be pilots, entry-level airline mechanics, and precision machinists.]

The U.S. Navy noted it will use its new TransPark aircraft maintenance facility – which officially opens next summer – to maintain, repair, and overhaul several types of military aircraft, including C/KC-130J Super Hercules and C/KC-130T Hercules military transport aircraft and Air Force HH-60W Jolly Green II advanced combat search and rescue helicopters.

The new Navy hanger at TransPark – upgraded with the help of a $350 million state loan – is part of the Fleet Readiness Center East at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, where the U.S. military overhauls, assembles, and tests military aircraft.

“Global TransPark was first envisioned over 30 years ago as a multimodal industrial park that could become a catalyst to drive the economy of eastern North Carolina,” said Daniel Johnson, NCDOT secretary, in a statement. “With the completion of this project and several other economic development wins, TransPark is taking another major step toward realizing that goal.”