ENTERPRISE, Alabama — Arista Aviation Services LLC said today that the U.S. State Department’s Office of Aviation has awarded it a five-year contract with a maximum value of $111 million to perform maintenance on the agency’s UH-1 helicopters.
The Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contact for UH-1 Programmed Depot Maintenance extends the work already being done under contract by the Alabama company for the agency.
“Arista Aviation is pleased to be given the opportunity to continue to provide the Department of State, Office of Aviation, with safe, reliable, refurbished aircraft,” said Rich Enderle, the company’s president and CEO.
Under the contract, Arista will conduct recurring Aircraft Condition Inspections (ACIs), aircraft modifications, corrosion identification, removal, treatment, and repair, component and accessory overhaul, and refurbishment of the Department of State’s UH-1 fleet.
Arista will perform the work at its headquarters, which was established in 2014 at the Enterprise Municipal Airport.
“We look forward to reaffirming Arista as the premiere Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) partner of choice. We will be working hard to expand Arista’s presence in the marketplace, and are already formulating plans to expand our current facility to accommodate our planned growth,” Enderle said.
GROWTH PLANS
In addition the UH-1, Arista, an FAA Part 145 Repair Station, provides complete maintenance and upgrades for UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The company also refurbishes aircraft purchased from the U.S. Army’s UH-60 divestiture program, as well as for customers that already own Black Hawks.
At the 2107 Paris Air Show, Enderle announced that Arista had completed a deal to sell four modified Black Hawks to the International Defense and Aerospace Group, marking the company’s first commercial transaction.
Arista’s primary customer focus is on the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of State and other government agencies, as well as foreign governments.
Enderle said Arista’s Alabama operation is poised for growth.
“Arista re-located to Enterprise in 2014 because of the vast quantity of aviation trained mechanics and the rich aviation history here in the Wiregrass. As a result, we have steadily grown to over 150 employees,” he added.
The Wiregrass area of Southeast Alabama is home to the U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence and Fort Rucker, the primary training center for Army helicopter pilots for decades.
