Officials Detail $40M Rockford Jet Repair Facility

ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) — State and federal officials say a planned jet-repair and maintenance center at Chicago Rockford International Airport will run 24 hours a day when it opens in 2016.

Gov. Pat Quinn and other officials announced details Monday in Rockford about the $40 million facility. It'll be 200,000 square feet and is expected to employ about 500 people over the next five years.

The hangar will be leased to Wood Dale-based AAR Corp. It's the largest operator of such maintenance and repair sites in the country. Officials with the company say they chose Rockford because of its location and specially trained workforce. Rockford has become a hub of aerospace-related business.

The airport, city of Rockford and Winnebago County will fund some of the project. State and federal funds will cover the rest.