Leaders meet to advance the competitiveness of the aviation industry in Chicago

WOOD DALE, Ill., /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --AAR (NYSE: AIR) announced today that its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, David P. Storch was among five aviation industry leaders that attended a session hosted by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel at City Hall where the Mayor invited business leaders to share challenges and discuss opportunities to protect and grow Chicago's position as a leading international aviation hub.

"I was very impressed with Mayor Emanuel and the initiative that he demonstrated in pulling this group of industry leaders together in the interest of growing the local economy and creating jobs," said David P. Storch. "The session was an excellent opportunity for aviation businesses with operations in the Chicago area to share common challenges and explore ways to advance aviation as a part of the City's growth agenda."

Also participating in the meeting were:

• Jeff Smisek, president and CEO of United Airlines
• Jim McNerney, chairman, president and CEO of Boeing
• Bob Reding, EVP of Operations for American Airlines
• Ron Ricks, EVP for Southwest Airlines
• Rosemarie S. Andolino, Commissioner, Chicago Department of Aviation

"The aviation industry is crucial to Chicago's economic future," said Mayor Emanuel. "Our leadership in this space is dependent upon strong cooperation between the City and the leading aviation companies, and we are committed to growing these relationships and working together to increase local educational and job training opportunities."

The discussion focused largely on cooperation between private sector companies and the City for the purposes of job creation, economic growth, job training and education, including direct partnerships with educational institutions to achieve these goals.

AAR is a leading provider of value-added products and services to the worldwide aerospace and government and defense industries. With facilities and sales locations around the world, AAR uses its close-to-the-customer business model to serve its customers through four operating segments: Aviation Supply Chain; Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul; Structures and Systems; and Government and Defense Services. More information can be found at www.aarcorp.com.

AAR - Named one of The Most Trustworthy Companies by Forbes.

This press release contains certain statements relating to future results, which are forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on beliefs of Company management, as well as assumptions and estimates based on information currently available to the Company, and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or those anticipated, including those factors discussed under Item 1A, entitled "Risk Factors", included in the Company's May 31, 2011 Form 10-K. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize adversely, or should underlying assumptions or estimates prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described. These events and uncertainties are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many are beyond the Company's control. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events. For additional information, see the comments included in AAR's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.