THURSDAY MARCH 26, 7:11 AM EASTERN TIME

COMPANY PRESS RELEASE

AVIATION SALES COMPANY AND WHITEHALL CORPORATION ANNOUNCE MERGER AGREEMENT

MIAMI-(BUSINESS WIRE) - March 26, 1998--Aviation Sales Company (NYSE:AVS - news)
and Whitehall Corporation (NYSE: WHT - news) announced today that they have
entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which Aviation Sales and
Whitehall will merge. Under the terms of the agreement, at the effective date of
the merger, the shareholders of Whitehall will receive 0.5143 shares of Aviation
Sales common stock for each share of Whitehall stock outstanding on such date.
Based on the approximately 6.0 million Whitehall shares outstanding, Aviation
Sales will issue approximately 3.1 million shares of Aviation Sales common stock
to Whitehall's stockholders in the merger transaction. Based upon the last
closing price of Aviation Sales' common stock on March 25, 1998, the value of
the transaction is approximately $142 million, which includes the assumption of
approximately $9.4 million of Whitehall's outstanding indebtedness. The
transaction, which will be accounted for as a pooling of interest, is expected
to close at the end of the second quarter of 1998.

Dale Baker, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Aviation Sales, commented,
"Whitehall is a quality leader in the heavy maintenance, repair and overhaul
("MRO") of aircraft, and this merger provides Aviation Sales with a substantial
foothold in the $27 billion worldwide MRO market. Combined with our other
recently acquired maintenance and repair operations, this transaction will
significantly expand our capacities in the MRO market and allow us to provide
our airline customers "nose to tail" maintenance, repair and inventory
management solutions. This is a very significant strategic acquisition for us
and allows us to combine our industry leading airframe parts redistribution
business with full service MRO operations. While we expect to incur transactions
costs of approximately $1.2 million relating to this transaction during the
first and second quarter of 1998, this acquisition will be neutral to Aviation
Sales' operating results for 1998 and accretive to Aviation Sales' operating
results in 1999."

George Baker, Chairman and Chief Executive of Whitehall, added, "We believe that
by joining forces with Aviation Sales, our shareholders will participate in the
strategic benefits which this transaction brings to the combined company. This
merger will also allow our shareholders to benefit from the ownership of shares
in a larger, more diversified company with excellent growth prospects."

Completion of the merger is subject to, among other matters, approval by the
shareholders of both companies, successful completion of regulatory review under
the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, and other customary conditions. The holders of
approximately 30% of each of Aviation Sales' and Whitehall's shareholders have
entered into agreements to vote in favor of the merger at shareholders' meetings
of both companies to called to vote upon the proposed merger.

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Whitehall operates two FAA-licensed repair stations engaged in the maintenance,
repair and overhaul of McDonnell Douglas DC8/DC9/MD80/DC10, Boeing 727/737 and
Lockheed C-130 aircraft.

Aviation Sales Company is a recognized worldwide leader in the aircraft spare
parts market, manufacturing, selling and repairing parts for Boeing, McDonnell
Douglas, Lockheed and Airbus aircraft, and Pratt & Whitney, General Electric and
Rolls Royce jet engines. Offering inventory management services, including
purchasing services, repair and repair management, warehouse management,
aircraft disassembly services and consignment and leasing of aircraft spare
parts, Aviation Sales is a leader in Total Inventory Solutions designed to meet
the diverse needs of its customers. Aviation Sales Company also manufactures
certain aircraft parts for sale to original equipment manufacturers; including
precision engine parts, and provides certain aircraft repair services at its FAA
licensed repair facilities.

This press release contains forward-looking statements, which involve risks and
uncertainties, including risks associated with the successful integration of the
combined businesses and the realization of commercial synergies, among other
matters. Aviation Sales' actual future results could differ materially from the
results anticipated herein. For further information, please see Aviation Sales'
Annual Report of Form 10-K for the 1996 fiscal year.

Contact:

         Dale S. Baker
         Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
         (305) 599-6619
         Joseph E. Civiletto
         Chief Financial Officer
         (305) 599-6693
         Home Page Address: http://www.avsales.com
         Corporate News on the Net:
         http://www.businesswire.com/cnn/avs.htm
         or
         Morgan-Walke Associates
         June Filingeri/Jennifer Angell
         Media contact: Stan Froelich
         (212) 850-5600