South Carolina, USA – Textron Systems, a division of Textron Inc., is closing its flight simulator manufacturing facility in Goose Creek, South Carolina, with production being relocated to Maryland. Nearly 60 workers, most in technical roles, will be permanently laid off between May and August 2026.

Textron Systems filed a WARN notice with state labour officials on 23 March 2026, notifying of the planned closure of its 228,000-square-foot plant at Crowfield Corporate Center, located at 5 Alliance Drive in Berkeley County. Layoffs are scheduled between 21 May and 14 August 2026. The company cited a comprehensive evaluation of its total footprint to serve its global customer base more efficiently and competitively.
The Goose Creek facility has a nearly three-decade history in aviation simulation. Maryland-based AAI Engineering Support Inc. established operations in the area in 1997 with a single contract for electronic training modules supporting C-17 military cargo jet maintenance at nearby Charleston Air Force Base (now Joint Base Charleston). The business grew and AAI purchased the Crowfield plant — originally built by Corning Inc. — in 2005, before Textron acquired AAI's parent company in 2007.
In 2014, Textron consolidated three legacy simulation businesses at the Goose Creek site to form TRU Simulation + Training: AAI's South Carolina operation, Montreal-based Mechtronix, and Florida-based Opinicus. At its peak, TRU employed approximately 225 staff in the Charleston region and generated annual revenue exceeding US$100 million.
The Goose Creek facility produced simulation and training systems across both military and commercial aviation platforms. Military programmes included C-17 cargo aircraft maintenance training systems, the U.S. Air Force T-7A Advanced Pilot Training Program Maintenance Training System (awarded in December 2025 at up to US$62 million), and Ship-to-Shore Connector (SSC) operational trainers for the U.S. Navy (awarded in July 2024 at US$39.3 million). On the commercial side, TRU secured contracts for full flight simulators for the Airbus A320, Boeing 737 MAX, Bell 525 Relentless, and ATR-600.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Textron suspended airline simulator manufacturing at TRU's Montreal facility, laid off approximately half of the subsidiary's workforce, and subsequently sold the Montreal operations along with TRU entities in France and Malaysia to CAE. The remaining TRU business was restructured with its Florida (Tampa) facility as headquarters, focused on business aviation, rotorcraft, and military simulation.
Textron Systems purchased the 32-acre Goose Creek property from its TRU Simulation sibling approximately six years ago for around US$5.84 million. The closure represents the end of Textron's simulator manufacturing presence in South Carolina.
Notably, the T-7A maintenance training system contract awarded just three months before the closure announcement specified integration work at the Goose Creek facility, raising questions about how these programme commitments will transition to Maryland.

Source: WARN Notice filing

USA's Simulator Manufacturer Shuts Military and Commercial Aviation Training Device Plant as Production Location Consolidates in 2026

This feature is only available to our Premium Subscribers

Share

Recommend this Post