Lockheed Martin Corp. recently announced that it will invest $7 million to open the Eastern Automated Flight Service Station (AFSS) hub in Loudoun County, west of the Washington, D.C., metro. The project will create 200 new jobs over 30 months.

This project marks the first time the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has outsourced a major system operation. The facility will employ flight service specialists to brief pilots on flight plans and weather conditions. The hub will cover the geographic region east of the Mississippi River. Virginia successfully competed against Arizona, Florida, Maryland, Texas and Washington for the project.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 135,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture and integration of advanced technology systems, products and services.

“Lockheed Martin selected the Northern Virginia location because of its proximity to FAA headquarters in Washington, D.C., the critical airspace covered by the Flight Service Station, the density of pilots and general aviation aircraft, and the quality of life provided within the Dulles Airport corridor,” said Dan Courain, Lockheed Martin vice-president for Flight Services.

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership worked with the Loudoun County Department of Economic Development to secure the project for Virginia. The Virginia Department of Business Assistance will provide training assistance through its Workforce Services Jobs Investment Program.