June 30, 2025 Critical Flight Performance

Volume 28 | Issue 2

Air Industries Group manufactures precision assemblies and components for mission-critical aerospace and defense applications.

By David Soyka, Senior Editor, Industry Today

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Air Industries Group (AIRI) is a NYSE-listed business that lands big projects. A Tier 1 and Tier 2 supplier to OEMs, and a Prime Contractor to the U.S. Department of Defense, Air Industries manufactures flight critical components, including flight controls landing and arresting gear, for the most demanding applications.

“Historically, the majority of our business is military contracts,” notes President and CEO Luciano (Lou) Melluzzo. “Some of our products, such as our jet engine components, do translate to commercial customers, a segment we’re looking to develop further as we continue to add manufacturing capabilities and capacity.”

Air Industries’ products are deployed on important military fixed wing and rotary aircraft, which include the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II (Joint Strike Fighter), the US Navy carrier- based E-2D Advanced Hawkeye and F-18 Hornet, and the US Air Force F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon. Northrop Grumman recognized Air Industries for outstanding performance at its 2025 Supplier Excellence Awards.

The company is headquartered on Long Island, New York, known as the “Cradle of Aviation,” and operates two Centers of Excellence in New York and Connecticut. Both Centers of Excellence are certified to the latest industry specifications: AS9100:D and ISO 9001:2015.

Air Industries Machining Corporation and Nassau Tool Works, also located at Bay Shore, perform complex machining and assembly. Core competencies including 5-axis milling, N/C turning, deep-hole drilling, hydraulic testing, and high-speed machining.

Turbine engine components for flight and ground power applications and complex assemblies for rotorcraft are manufactured by the Sterling Engineering Corporation in Barkhamsted, Conn., located in the heart of Hartford’s “Aerospace Alley.” Sterling is a key supplier to Pratt & Whitney in Hartford, as well as Electric Boat in Groton, CT.

Both Centers of Excellence are close to major OEM customers as well as local suppliers and support services. Together, the Long Island and Connecticut manufacturing facilities comprise 180,000 square feet, with plans to add further capacity to meet increasing demand.

“Connecticut was the first state to establish the position of Chief Manufacturing Officer,” Melluzzo points out. “The state has been very receptive to our plans to add plant capacity and employment. They’ve been a pleasure to work with.”

He adds that, “In 2023 we invested $2.5 million to install new technologies at the Sterling facility. These include roof solar panels as well as the purchase and relocation of a specialty welding machine to produce arresting gear for the Navy’s carrier-based Advanced Hawkeye radar aircraft. We also invested $2 million to buy new machinery in support of new contracts.”

War Footing

The company’s critical role in supplying high quality precision assemblies and components of increasing size and complexity for military aircraft dates back to its roots in 1941, and the early days of World War II. Then family-owned Sterling Engineering produced parts for the F4U Corsair, assembled by the Vought-Sikorsky Aircraft Company in Stratford, a relationship that continues to the current day in supporting the Blackhawk and CH-53K helicopters.

A key reason why Air Industries remains a leader in supporting the nation’s defense and commercial aviation sectors is its unique ability to integrate complex parts into sophisticated assemblies. Melluzzo notes that, “We are a team of experienced craftspeople who understand the mission-critical needs of our customers and translate those needs into high quality precision products.”

Grounded by People

He adds, “While we’re constantly adding new technologies to continuously improve our efficiencies and better serve our customers, the skills and dedication of our 185 employees is the most essential determinant of our success. Many of our employees have been with us 20 to 30 years. They are the bread and butter of the business.”

Like any manufacturer these days, finding new talent is a challenge. “We are always looking to find people that are a good fit for our culture and can be trained with the necessary skills,” Melluzzo says, adding that, “There’s still this perception of manufacturing as a dirty, boring environment when in fact it is extremely high tech. We need highly skilled people to program and operate state-of-the-art machinery.”

At the same time, Melluzzo notes the rising importance of artificial intelligence to perform certain programming functions. “AI is something we’re studying and trying to get a better understanding of how best to use it and improve our processes. It is definitely a tool of the future for manufacturing.”

Because of the nature of its defense contracts, Air Industries is unaffected by current tariff uncertainties. “OEMs and by extension ourselves are required by law to only use materials sourced in the United States,” Melluzzo points out. An additional advantage is that contract commitments are multiyear, running anywhere from two to seven years.

Experience and Expertise

Air Industries continues to look at new products and opportunities. “During COVID, spare parts availability was challenging,” Melluzzo says. Often spare parts were cannibalized from other aircraft. As a result, we’re now seeing a lot of aftermarket activity to fill a backlog of spare components and assemblies.”

“Air Industries is constantly looking to see how to re-engineer a product and make it more cost-efficient,” Melluzzo emphasizes. “That kind of expertise and experience is another of our key differentiators.”

For over 80 years, Air Industries has supported the progress of our nation’s defense and commercial aviation sectors. “The people of Air Industries pursue our mission with pride, integrity, and a passion for excellence,” Melluzzo says. Which is why the business is on a flight plan for even more success in the coming years.

Mr. Luciano Melluzzo serves as a President & CEO of Air Industries Group in Bay Shore, NY. AIG is a publicly traded company listed on the NYSE (AIRI) supplying complex machined parts such as landing gear assemblies, turbine engine components, arresting gear, aero structures, mechanical assemblies and a host of other highly engineered components to first tier customers and the government direct.

Lou has over 30 years of aerospace machining experience, and prior to joining AIG was Chief Operating Officer at EDAC technologies Corporation in Connecticut. During his eight years tenure, the market capitalization of EDAC technologies increased by approximately 789%.

Lou also served as General Manager of Polar Corporation, a privately-held company in CNC mill/turn of small hardware components for the aerospace industry.

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