en.Wedoany.com Reported - Aloft AeroArchitects has opened a new engineering center in Indianapolis, Indiana, initially staffed with approximately 20 engineers, increasing the company's internal capacity by about 30% and expanding its workforce by 30% to address growing VVIP and special mission modification projects. This expansion represents the company's largest capacity increase in years, aimed at broadening access to experienced aerospace talent.

CEO Scott Meyer told Aviation Week that this decision reflects both the scale of future work and the company's need to broaden access to experienced aerospace talent. The engineering team at the new base covers multiple disciplines including structures, electrical, interiors, mechanical, certification, and project management, directly assigned to the company's existing backlog to support several mature product lines on Boeing and Airbus platforms, including auxiliary fuel systems, Gogo Galileo FDX antenna installations, and supplemental type certificates for the 737 MAX series water system.

Meyer noted that the Indianapolis team will participate in a wide range of integration tasks involving prototypes and emerging technology installations. The company expects the dual-base model to operate smoothly, with senior engineers at the headquarters in Georgetown, Delaware helping new teams integrate into the company's workflow, while both locations being in the same time zone serves as an operational advantage.

In terms of certification work, although the company's Organizational Designation Authorization remains in Georgetown, engineering resources at the new base will support increasingly complex cabin modification projects. Meyer emphasized that the proximity of the Chicago metropolitan area's concentrated FAA expert pool is another advantage. He also highlighted the industry's aging workforce, noting that "a significant proportion of FAA representatives are approaching retirement," and therefore the Indianapolis office will enhance the company's ability to train early-career engineers in certification disciplines.