Aerospace

Major manufacturers like Lockheed Martin and Gulfstream Aerospace and their supply chains have ensured that aerospace products have continuously been Georgia's number one international export since 2004. In 2021, aerospace product exports topped $9.2 billion, making Georgia the fifth-largest aerospace export state in the US.

Aircraft and engine parts are a vital part of this industry cluster with companies like Pratt & Whitney, Qarbon Aerospace and PCC Airfoils; general-aviation manufacturers Thrush Aircraft and Maule Air Inc. produce aircraft in the southern part of the state. Here, you’ll find resources offered by the COI for aerospace-manufacturing companies of all sizes.

The Aeronautical Repair Station Association (2020) ranks Georgia fourth for U.S. maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) employment. In total, the state has more than 22,000 MRO employees split between civilian and military operations. Delta TechOps is the largest MRO in North America, and the U.S. Air Force Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex is one of the largest military depots. StandardAero, Stambaugh Aviation and Aero Center Epps Atlanta also have thriving MRO enterprises in the state.

Georgia's 103 public airports contribute more than 450,000 jobs and $73 billion in statewide total economic impact. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) keeps companies competitive with unparalleled global access for passengers and cargo. Every day, 2,500 flights arrive and depart from ATL, and the airport is a strategic gateway with direct flights to more than 70 international destinations in 50 countries.

The state benefits from more than $50 million annually in focused aerospace research through public and private universities. Georgia has five engineering schools offering a wide variety of degrees that support the aerospace industry, and Georgia Tech is one of the top universities in the US for aerospace graduation rates and job placement. Organizations like the Small Satellite Research Laboratory, created by the University of Georgia, seek to connect students and faculty with industry professionals. This has led to more opportunities for undergraduates in the aerospace industry.

At the forefront of emerging technology, the center works with innovative companies, partners in Georgia's university system and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to help companies adapt and change with advances in technology.

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) companies can gain access to a number of research facilities for testing of various applications such as agriculture, public safety, infrastructure inspection and photography. The Georgia Tech-based Center for Urban and Regional Air Mobility (CURAM) is becoming a nationally recognized research center for the burgeoning electrically powered aircraft sector, providing point-to-point transportation in urban, suburban and rural areas.