Republic Airways has chosen historic Moton Field in Tuskegee as the location for its Southeast pilot training school, LIFT Academy.

Gov. Kay Ivey was at the announcement Wednesday morning in Tuskegee at Moton Field Municipal Airport, which she called a major economic announcement.

LIFT is investing $27 million for aircraft for the program, which will create 35 full-time aviation-related jobs in Tuskegee over three years, with an average annual salary of nearly $75,000, according to the Alabama Department of Commerce.

In addition, 57 certified flight instructors will be involved in the program at Moton Field.

The program will begin this fall.

Republic, North America’s second largest regional airline, picked the home of the legendary Tuskegee Airmen for a “collaboration that will transcend boundaries and propel us toward a brighter future,” Ivey said.

“Moton Field was the training ground for the Tuskegee Airmen, whose valor and prowess in the skies during World War II defied all the odds,” she said. “Now, in the very shadows of these heroic legends, a new chapter is set to unfold – one of innovation, opportunity and boundless promise.”

Matt Koscal, executive vice president and CAO of Republic Airways Holdings, said the announcement was the culmination of about three-and-half years of work between the airline and state and local officials.

The school will “bring the transformational careers that exist in aviation and are so needed in our economy,” Koscal said.

Earlier this year, Tuskegee University announced a new flight school program in the fall, allowing students to train on the field used by the Tuskegee Airmen, thanks to $6.7 million in federal funding.

LIFT stands for Leadership in Flight Training, and was started by Republic Airways in 2018 to create a pathway into aviation for students from a wide range of traditional and non-traditional backgrounds.