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Aircraft Maintenance Facility In East Alton, IL Expanded

Expansion Brings Additional Hangar and Shop Space and 36 New Employment Opportunities

West Star Aviation is nearing completion of their brand new 47,000 square foot aircraft maintenance facility in East Alton, IL (ALN). In addition to the new maintenance facility, the multimillion dollar expansion includes a 14,000 square foot wood shop and 6,000 square foot accessory repair shop, bringing the East Alton facilities from 250,000 to 317,300 square feet with approximately 300 employees.

The new facilities are scheduled to be complete by May 2014, and West Star will host an open house to celebrate the milestone.

With the additional hangar and shop space, West Star also has 36 new employment opportunities at their ALN facility. The openings are in several areas including Gulfstream, Falcon and Avionics Technicians. To learn more about all of West Star’s employment opportunities, visit http://www.weststaraviation.com/careers/.

The original plans for expansion at ALN came in response to the high demand of West Star Aviation customers, which had their current facility operating at maximum capacity.

“We are excited to see the construction come to an end and eager to start utilizing the new space,” said Rodger Renaud, Chief Operating Officer, West Star Aviation. “The additional facilities will allow us to continue expanding over the next 3 to 5 years, bringing additional service offerings to our customers and more jobs to East Alton.”

In order to further strengthen their service offerings, West Star Aviation also recently broke ground  on a state-of-the-art paint facility as well as an additional maintenance facility and shop at their Grand Junction, CO (GJT) location. An additional 10,000 square feet of maintenance facilities are also planned at their Columbia, South Carolina (CAE) location.

West Star Aviation, Inc. specializes in the repair and maintenance of airframes, windows, and engines, as well as major modifications, avionics installation and repair, interior refurbishment, surplus avionics sales, accessory services, paint and parts.

In addition to its facilities in East Alton, IL; Grand Junction, CO; and Columbia, SC. West Star Aviation runs the maintenance operations at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport in Aspen, CO and at Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield, MO. The company also provides complete FBO services for transient aircraft at its newly remodeled East Alton and Grand Junction facilities. West Star Aviation, Inc. is an industry leader in technical experience and expertise while providing world-class customer services in all the organization’s divisions. For more information visit http://www.weststaraviation.com or call 800-922-2421.

Aircraft Maintenance Facility in East Alton

 

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Contact Us

WSAA will be piloted at the East Alton, IL facility with the first round of apprentices anticipated to start in January 2024. For more information on West Star Aviation employment or WSAA apprentice selection criteria, please visit www.weststaraviation.com/careers or contact Katie Johnson (katiejohnson@wsa.aero) or Dave Lagermann (dlagermann@wsa.aero).

Application & Selection Process

Before applying, please be aware of the standards of conduct for employment with West Star along with the strict requirements below while attending WSAA.

  • Working in Aviation requires a commit to being drug-free.  Pre-employment drug testing along with random and reasonable suspicion testing is required for all companies employing people working in safety sensitive positions. The position you are considering applying for is safety sensitive.  If hired, you must pass a DOT drug test to start working, if you fail the job offer is rescinded.  If you pass, you must remain drug-free during employment, failing a random or reasonable suspicion test may result in termination of employment.  Please note: marijuana is legal in certain states however the FAA follows Federal law where marijuana is illegal.  This means testing positive for marijuana, or any other illegal drug, will prevent you from working in Aviation. 
  • The first 7.5 months will follow a strict schedule: Monday – Friday 7:00am – 3:30pm (breaks and meal periods provided). 
  • The expectation is to arrive inside the learning center and clocked in at 7:00am.
  • While attending WSAA, no more than 4 hours a week can be missed.  Extenuating medical circumstances will be given full consideration with supporting documentation.
  • WSAA follows an FAA approved curriculum which has certain requirements including attendance. 
  • Testing for the FAA license at the conclusion of WSAA is required, along with passing.  Two opportunities to test will be provided, if needed.  Employment may terminate if the FAA license is not obtained.
  • Candidates will be contacted to complete pre-screening assessments and questionnaires. 
  • Qualified candidates will be contacted in late November and scheduled for a tour and interview with Hiring Managers at West Star Aviation in East Alton, IL.
  • To be qualified, candidates must pass the pre-screening process along with submitting a negative DOT drug test result.
  • Finalists will be selected after onsite interviews. Job offers will be extended in mid-December with a start date of January 9, 2024.
  • Pay while learning in the Academy will be $20 per hour.  Upon successfully graduating and obtaining your FAA license, pay will increase to $27 per hour.