The Marines landed at Ardmore Airpark Tuesday and in doing so, initiated a new era of partnership between King Aerospace, Inc., and the United States Navy.

A Marine Corps C-9B landed at the airpark and was looked over by Jerry King-Echevarria, King Aerospace Chairman, and King Aerospace executives. The plane is scheduled to be refurbished under a contract between King Aerospace and the U.S. Navy. The contract will take effect Aug. 1. As the plane landed, supplies specified for C-9B were being unloaded in preparation for scheduled projects.

King-Echevarria said the contract created 40 new jobs, 30 of which have been filled. King Aerospace won an $11 million, one-year contract to provide support for the U.S. Navys C-9B aircraft. The Navy also has four options on the contract, which would make it a five-year partnership.

This contract really puts us on the radar screen with the Navy, King-Echevarria said.

King-Echevarria said the contract could lead to other opportunities with the Navy. Since King Aeropace added the sale of Av-Gas to its services, King said the amount of traffic at the airpark has grown by 50 percent. Jeff Alcorn, Interior Supervisor, King Aerospace said much of the traffic has been military, mainly from Texas bases. When the Marine C-9B touched down Tuesday afternoon, King Aerospace employees were lined up on the runway as a welcoming committee.

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King Aerospace contract with U.S. Navy to take effect Aug. 1