Soaring to New Heights

Tucson’s clear blue skies and dry climate have attracted aerospace related businesses since the early 1900s. The Aerospace & Defense industry is a major component in the region’s economy and Tucson is ranked as one of the top 5 areas in the U.S. for this industry.

The region’s aerospace industry presence includes defense and space-related manufacturing, research and development, industrial high-tech fields, assembly, distribution, and warehousing. It also includes firms that maintain and rehabilitate the nation’s commercial aircraft fleet.

Tucson’s highly concentrated aerospace product and parts manufacturing sector has an 8.35 location quotient (source: economy.com), a ratio calculated to compare a region’s industrial activity level to the rest of the United States. The location quotient means that Tucson is 8.35 times more concentrated in the aerospace product and parts manufacturing industry than the average of all metropolitan statistical areas across the country.