Compass
Airlines will construct an aircraft
maintenance facility at Louisville International Airport.The $9.85 million maintenance facility will include three aircraft
bays and handle scheduled maintenance for the carrier’s new fleet of
76-seat Embraer E-175 regional jet aircraft. Compass expects the
Louisville maintenance facility to create up to 70 new jobs when
construction is completed in fall of 2008.

  “Today’s announcement is the first step in the completion of
another major milestone for Compass Airlines. In 2007, Compass
employees have worked extremely hard to achieve FAA certification, the
airlines’ first revenue flight and the carrier’s first flights with
the new state-of-the-art E-175 aircraft. These efforts, combined with
completion of the Louisville maintenance facility will provide Compass
with the solid foundation needed to ensure a successful future,” said
John Bendoraitis, president.

  Several locations were considered for the facility, but the
Northwest Airlines Louisville flight schedule and the city’s proximity
to the Northwest hubs of Minneapolis/St. Paul, Detroit and Memphis
made Louisville the ideal location for Compass to perform its
scheduled aircraft maintenance.

  Design of the new facility is expected to be completed later this
year with construction beginning in spring of 2008.

  “Compass would like to thank J.D. Nichols, Skip Miller, Michael
Burris, Karen Scott and the entire Louisville Regional Airport
Authority; Secretary Robbie Rudolph, Brett Traver and the Cabinet for
Economic Development; Mayor Abramson and Louisville Metro; Bruce
Traughber with Louisville Metro Economic Development; and Joe Reagan,
Daryl Snyder and Greater Louisville, Inc. who were all instrumental in
making today’s announcement a reality,” said Bendoraitis.

  “The Compass maintenance facility is yet another example of the
continued success story and economic payoff that has resulted from the
foresight of our community’s leaders when they initiated the airport
expansion project,” said J.D. Nichols, Airport Authority Board
Chairman.

  Compass operates the state-of-the-art 76-seat E-175 regional jet
aircraft that provides customers with best-in-class cabin comfort. By
the end of 2008, there will be 36 E-175 aircraft in the Compass fleet.

  The E-175 offers dual-class service with 12 seats in first class
and 64 seats in coach class. The first class seats, arranged in a one
seat-aisle-two seat configuration, offer 36 inches of pitch, or space
between rows. Coach class, arranged in a two seat-aisle-two seat
configuration, provides pitch comparable to other aircraft in
Northwest’s current mainline fleet.

  The E-175 is designed to provide customers with best-in-class
comfort, including leather seating with adjustable headrests, and more
room throughout the cabin than traditional regional jets. The aircraft
features 6’ 7” of headroom in the aisle and increased shoulder room
when seated. Sidewall-mounted seats are designed to maximize
under-seat space, improving passenger comfort and stowage capacity,
and overhead compartments offer more storage compared to traditional
regional jets and can accommodate 24” x 16” x 10” roll-on bags.
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