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Kelly consolidates engine maintenance

SAN ANTONIO, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Kelly Aviation Center will consolidate a major subcontract due to a slowdown in aircraft engine maintenance.

Officials at Kelly said Wednesday that about 650 employees of subcontractor Standard Aero would be reassigned due to a dip in the amount of work needed on engines used on workhorse aircraft such as the C-130 Hercules and C-5 Galaxy.

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"Fewer aircraft in military inventories, fewer flying hours, and more time between overhauls have led to unprecedented spare engine inventory levels," said Kelly, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin, Rolls-Royce and GE Aviation.

Kelly performs overhauls on a wide range of U.S. military aircraft, including the Galaxy's TF39 and the T56, which powers the C-130, the P-3 and the Navy's C-2 Greyhound.

The consolidation announced Wednesday involves work performed on TF56 engines by Standard Aero at Kelly's San Antonio facility. The skilled workers are expected to be absorbed into the Kelly workforce within a year's time and will be cross-trained on the TF39.

Kelly predicted that the move will wind up saving the Air Force some $120 million over the remainder of the original 1999 Propulsion Business Area contract.

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