Raytheon Aircraft broke ground on October 3 to expand its aircraft completions facilities in Little Rock, Ark., with a $16.3 million addition creating more room for paint and interior completions of the Hawker 4000.

Currently, the facility handles Hawker 850XP interiors, installation of custom avionics packages and exterior paint before delivery. According to the Wichita company, the Little Rock center is “working at capacity and will need the additional space to complete and deliver the number of aircraft currently on order.”

The expansion will add 112,000 sq ft to the existing structure and enable the center to double its delivery capacity by the end of 2008. A new 54,000-sq-ft hangar bay is included in the plans, as is an extended rear section of the hangar, which will house cabinetry, upholstery and sheet-metal shops, as well as hard goods storage.

Raytheon believes the new facility and associated work will create 150 new full-time positions over the next 24 months.