Stewart Industries expanding in Alabama creating 200 new jobs
An aviation company will create at least 200 new jobs through an expansion in central Alabama. Al.com reports that Stewart Industries International has leased the former Kaiser Aircraft facility adjacent to Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. The company said this week they expect to provide maintenance support to the east coast-based aviation industry. Graham & Co. was first hired in 2014 to market and lease the 1.7 million-square-foot (157.9-million-square-meter) facility and its 180 acres with direct runway access at the airport. The facility was also formerly Alabama Aircraft Industries, which Kaiser Aircraft bought out of bankruptcy in September 2011. “Birmingham is excited to welcome Stewart Industries into our city,” Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said in a statement. “Stewart Industries will not only help Birmingham to make a mark in the aviation industry but open the door for hundreds of jobs as well.” Stewart Industries International Birmingham president Dale Mullinax said the new facility could employ up to 500 people within a year. “We have reviewed many proposals during the three and one-half years that our facility has been closed, but our objectives have now been met with the arrival of Stewart Industries International,” said Doris Sewell, chief executive officer of Kaiser Aircraft Industries. Sewell said Stewart will give hiring preference to former Kaiser Aircraft employees. The company will reinstate Kaiser’s former program of training inner city school candidates for the aviation industry. “This type of quality tenant brings renewed aviation activity to this unique facility as well as desirable employment opportunities to our community,” said Michael Bell, chairman of the Birmingham Airport Authority board of directors. “It also demonstrates a level of proactive collaboration and leadership by many stakeholders that made this welcomed announcement possible. This is yet another testament that BHM is open for business.” Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
Airport shuttle service from Birmingham to Atlanta began Sunday
A Richmond, Va. based transportation company began a shuttle service from Birmingham to the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport this week. The Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport currently operates over 60 flights between itself and Atlanta each week, and although each flight only takes around 30 minutes (once you’re in the air) many travelers prefer to avoid the hassle of adding a connecting flight either to or from the Atlanta airport. Groome Transportation will be offering 14 daily round trips from Birmingham to Atlanta; beginning at 1 a.m. with the last shuttle leaving Birmingham at 8:30 p.m. Services to Birmingham from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport will be offered as well, the first shuttle will be scheduled to leave at 5:30 a.m. with the last trip leaving Atlanta at 1 a.m. according to the Birmingham Patch. Reservations are required in advance and can be purchased online or by phone; the company asks that you schedule the shuttle at least 24 hours before your trip to avoid any potential delays at the time of travel. For now, all shuttles pick passengers up at the Festival Shopping Center on Crestwood Boulevard for one way or round trip service. Adult shuttle trips cost $29 one-way and $58 for a round trip ticket. Young children, three to seven years old, cost $14 each way, while children under three ride for free.
Cabin smoke forces emergency landing in Alabama; no injuries
A commercial airline flight bound for Dallas with more than 80 people on board had to return to an Alabama airport because of smoke in the passenger cabin. A spokeswoman for Birmingham’s airport, Toni Herrera-Bast, say an American Airlines flight operated by a regional carrier departed Tuesday morning but to turn around after the pilot reported smoke. The plane returned to the airport at 6:40 a.m. after only 11 minutes in the air. Passengers got off the aircraft on the tarmac before being taken inside the terminal. No injuries are being reported. The twin-engine Bombardier CRJ-900 was carrying 79 passengers and four crew members. Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport shows off energy-efficient features
For travelers using Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport over the last three years, the difference between the recently renovated and expanded passenger terminal and the old one is like night and day – literally. Natural light floods the renovated terminal, which was completed in August 2014. It not only makes the terminal brighter and more pleasant, it also saves on lighting costs. It is just one of multiple changes made to the terminal with goal of making the facility more energy-efficient. The improvements are not only recognized by travelers. Last month, the airport was awarded a LEED Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Airport leaders, as well as those involved in the design and construction of the modernized terminal, recently gathered at the facility to celebrate the LEED Gold recognition. They also provided guests a backstage tour of some of the airport’s “green” features. Those features include an all-electric, high-efficiency HVAC system, sophisticated building automation systems, increased insulation, and energy-efficient light fixtures, escalators, elevators and windows. The changes are already paying off in reduced energy use and lower energy bills. For example, in January 2011, the airport’s combined gas and electric bill for the old, 265,000-square-foot terminal totaled $129,374. Five years later, the new, all-electric terminal, which was expanded to 450,000 square feet, had a total energy bill that was almost $32,000 less. The modernized terminal also sports a solar water heating system and a rainwater harvesting system. The rainwater is collected in two huge, concrete tanks where it is reused in all the terminals’ toilets. The combined rainwater and “greywater” system not only reduces the amount of potable water needs at the airport (not to mention reducing the airport’s water bill), it also reduces rainwater runoff. Wherever possible, the airport used regionally sourced and recycled materials in the terminal construction, including Alabama white marble. In all, the total recycled content of the airport terminal is 23 percent, while nearly 45 percent of the building materials were manufactured, extracted (like the marble) harvested (wood, for example) or recovered within 500 miles of the site. Even the construction process had a green focus, with emphasis placed on reducing waste, and keeping what waste was generated out of local landfills. In the end, more than 97 percent of construction waste from the project was recycled. Another elegant – and definitely green – element in the airport is the “living wall,” a 1,400-foot-long hydroponic garden inside the terminal. It’s the largest living wall in any airport in the United States, according to local officials. Designed by a Birmingham-area artist, the wall is not only beautiful; it also helps improve air quality inside the terminal. Out on the tarmac, new emission-free, all-electric ground-support vehicles also help with air quality. The plug-in electric vehicles and chargers were purchased through federal grants, with support from Alabama Power. Mike Thompson, director of facilities at the airport, said the modernized terminal is meeting the objectives set out by the airport’s leadership, and the design and construction teams: to create an inviting, functional and user-friendly facility that is also energy efficient, easy to maintain, and a source of pride for the community. Republished with permission of Alabama NewsCenter.
