Aviation Company Seeks To Recruit 120 Mechanics From Tulsa Area

With job cuts hanging over the heads of many American Airlines employees, some are starting to look for a plan B.

02/27/2012 Related Story: American Airlines Says No To Union's Early-Out Proposals

An aviation company called AAR Corp was in town Thursday recruiting mechanics for their Oklahoma City location.

AAR Corp is looking for 120 mechanics who are willing to move to Oklahoma City. Since Tulsa's American Airlines maintenance base may be cutting thousands, recruiters think this is a great place to start their hunt.

Michael Jones has spent the last 16 years working for American Airlines.

"I never thought I'd be in this situation. It was the best airline in the world when I started and apparently that's changed.. so I really don't know. It's going to be difficult," Jones said.

With news of potential job cuts, Jones says his position with American is up in the air, leaving him to resort to other options.

"I'm not sure if I'm going to lose it or keep it. If I do keep it, I may lose 10 dollars an hour, so I'm just seeing what's available in case I need to make a decision," he said.

That's what brought him to the AAR Corp job fair. AAR is an Illinois based aviation company with four maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities in the U.S.

The Oklahoma City location is currently looking for 120 mechanics.

"With the type of background that's here in Tulsa, it's a first division workforce. We're excited to be here," said Greg Dellinger, head of recruiting for AAR Corp.

Dellinger says Tulsa has a rich aviation history, which proves to be true with Robert Calhoun's resume. He's a 17 year employee with American Airlines and now feels stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"I don't know where I might be in a month or two with American Airlines," Calhoun said. "Everything's a possibility," Calhoun said.

The job fair didn't only bring out American Airlines veterans; a few recent college grads looking to land that first job came to explore their opportunities.

"It sounds like a pretty good company. I'm very excited and hopefully I'll get in with the organization and start working for these guys," said recent college graduate Jacob Rhoads.

AAR reps say they're looking to fill these positions immediately. The job fair ends at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Hilton Garden Inn hotel by the airport.