MROs and Completion Centers

Clay Lacy Aviation is alot closer now to becoming net-zero with their carbon footprint. This is so after the installation of a 500 kW solar panel system covering over 30,000 sq ft of roof space at the company's Van Nuys location in California. They also installed 200 new LED lights as well as 44 charging points for vehicles.

A bit more on this. TAG Aviation Hong Kong will be providing servicing to the Falcon 7 and 8X models as the authorized service center. "We look forward to providing our high-quality maintenance support to Falcon operators in the region," said TAG Aviation director of maintenance Phil Balmer. "This welcomed service center status further increases our existing range of maintenance and cleaning services." Also, "the new Hong Kong line service capability is the latest of a series of measures intended to reinforce our worldwide Falcon product support network," said Jean Kayanakis, senior v-p of Dassault’s worldwide customer service and maintenance network. "It will provide further service options for our Falcon 7X and 8X customers while strengthening our longstanding relationship with TAG Aviation."

While not a business jet MRO MAAS aviation has opened a new set of paint booths to cater to the painting of up to two narrow-body commercial jets (up to A321 size) at a time. The new facility is located at Kaunas Airport (KUN) in Lithuania. All MAAS Aviation facilities are certified to EN9100, ISO9001 and ISO14001 standards. According to Tim Macdougald, CEO of MAAS Aviation, the central/eastern European location of Kaunas was chosen as a result of several influencing factors. "It was the universal willingness of the Lithuanian authorities to bring a new industry to Lithuania" says Macdougald. "I’d particularly like to mention Invest Lithuania and the Airport Authority of Lithuania for supporting a project that spearheads the development of aviation services at Kaunas; and to FL Technics for committing to build a partnership with MAAS to combine our services with theirs for the benefit of airline and lease company customers; and to Ryanair for its continued business and trust in being our launch customer at the site."

AMAC Aerospace just opened their new hangar specifically built for midsize bizjets. After only 12 months of construction time, the latest hangar of AMAC Aerospace has opened its doors to welcome the first mid-size jets. The new building offers space for up to 7 mid-size jets and adds 4’850m2respectively 30’000m2 of new apron to the four existing hangars at EuroAirport in Basel, Switzerland.

“We are proud to have managed this project successfully in this demanding time,” commented Bernd Schramm, Group COO of AMAC Aerospace. “The Hangar will be dedicated to mid-size jets maintenance and can accommodate up to 7 midsize jets like Bombardier Global or Challenger series or Gulfstream series or a combination thereof. The maintenance services for these types of aircraft were always high in demand and is steadily increasing due to our highly recognized quality of work.”

The just opened hangar is already seeing work. By the end of March, a Gulfstream G450 shall be positioned in AMAC’s hangar 5 in Basel, Switzerland. The privately-owned aircraft will undergo a Pre-Purchase Inspection (‘PPI’) as well a registration change. A second Gulfstream G450 is planned to arrive by the end of the month and will undergo a Pre-Purchase Inspection (‘PPI’) in the new hangar 5. AMAC accepted the request for the privately-owned aircraft on short notice. “With our new hangar 5, we have reduced substantially our lead-times, we are able to accept more requests from our clients for their mid-size jets on short notice. We are happy to offer a slot in this well-equipped hangar with the latest technologies”, said Mr. Alexis Ott, Director Maintenance Sales & Key Account Management.

FAI Technik has announced the completion of their latest project which was work on a Bombardier Challenger 604. Below is a look at the jet. "FAI Technik has successfully completed another highly demanding, first-class interior refurbishment project, following the completion of our stand out Global Express 'Project Pearl' in 2020. This latest project further reinforces FAI Technik´s competency in turnkey refurbishments at flat rate pricing," said, Siegfried Axtmann, FAI´s Group Chairman.

Metro Jet in Hong Kong has completed its first Gulfstream G650 6C inspection. "Despite having such a busy schedule, it is truly commendable that our team managed to complete all the tasks within the month," said Mr. Dave Yip, Metrojet’s GM HK MRO. "We are very pleased that both new and repeat customers place their trust in us, knowing that we have the right talent in place dedicated to providing both a quality and timely level of service." The inspection was completed during the challenging CoVID-19 environment with the team completing the inspection within 25 days including an additional 200+ hours of findings.

Bombardier is pleased to announce the opening of a new Line Maintenance Station at Geneva Airport. This most recent addition further complements the tip-to-tail maintenance services provided by Bombardier’s rapidly growing Services and Support network in Europe and worldwide. Located at Geneva Airpark, Bombardier’s new Line Maintenance Station offers customers line maintenance services by highly-skilled technicians who are certified to maintain Challenger 300, Challenger 350, Challenger 604, Challenger 605, Challenger 650, Challenger 850 and all Global series business jets, including Bombardier’s flagship Global 7500 aircraft. "This addition is an integral part of our overall mission to enhance OEM support for our operators in Europe, and we are very pleased to offer our customers turn-key service solutions for aircraft and crew members," said Jean-Christophe Gallagher, Executive Vice President, Services and Support, and Corporate Strategy, Bombardier. "In keeping with our commitment to offer an exceptional customer experience, we are delighted to provide our customers with expanded support in Europe."

Textron Aviation recently announced its Australian company-owned Premiair Aviation service centers can now service and support all in-country Cessna, Beechcraft and Hawker turbine aircraft models. These additional service approvals enable Premiair to provide owners and operators throughout Australia access to enhanced convenience and quality customer support at its three locations.

Textron Aviation announced its Australian company-owned Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, strengthened its Asia Pacific service offerings in early 2020 with the Textron Inc. acquisition of Premiair, a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) service provider, with bases in the Gold Coast, Melbourne and Perth, Australia, further expanding its global support network of company-owned service centers dedicated to providing exceptional customer service throughout the world. Several Textron Aviation aircraft models were added to Premiair’s roster of approved types for service and support across all its locations, which now includes all Cessna, Beechcraft and Hawker turboprop and jet aircraft models currently in operation in Australia. Model approval was received from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).

For the professionals at the Textron Aviation Service Centers, excellence in service begins long before the customer brings in an airplane. Here, the focus is also on training ahead of time, so the customer gets the best service and greatest value – and every Textron Aviation Service Center in the U.S. has received the FAA’s top-level Diamond Award to prove it. "Training means being focused on the reliability of the airplane as it returns to service and on the wellbeing and expertise of our technicians," said Brian Rohloff, senior vice president, Customer Support. "We put a premium on staying current on the in-depth knowledge we need to work more skillfully and efficiently, which adds up to a better return to service experience for our customers."

Duncan Aviation paint work on a Bombardier Global 7500.

Have a look at this work done by Duncan Aviation on a Citation XLS which needed its wooden bulkhead change for a different feel. Instead of the previous wood veneer that was there they went with a grey finish used a Hydro Dipping technique then applying hydro graphics. Not only did it result in a quick turnaround for the business jet but also a different look to the cabin in a short space of time. It was all done in less than 10 days by Duncan's Lincoln, Nebraska finish shop. The new finish was applied to the lavatory cabinet, vanity, aft dividers, pocket doors, drink rails, tables, left-hand forward galley, and right-hand forward entertainment cabinet.

Execujet Africa has gained FAA Part 145 Approval. "Our operations have always complied with the required standards for FAR Part 145 certification and we’re delighted it has been formally recognized to this effect," said ExecuJet MRO Services v-p for Africa Vince Goncalves. "The aviation industry relies on sound maintenance and we, as a provider, have a responsibility to ensure we do this to the highest standards."

Flying Colours Corp recently finished a custom paint scheme on a Gulfstream G650. To achieve the striking results a specialty basecoat-clearcoat polyurethane paint incorporating translucent pearl and mica granules that generate a crystal-sparkling effect was applied after the priming process. A metallic colour pallet featuring Concord Blue, Dusk Gray, and Medium Silver colours was subsequently used to complete the scheme. The need for mirror-images to appear on the right- and left-hand side of the aircraft, along with incredibly detailed specifications about distances between stripes, colours, and patterns added to the complexity. The design is so intricate that even when viewed from above, the pattern is incredibly precise.

Metrojet was recognized by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC). Eddy Lee, Metrojet’s head of corporate safety and quality said, "We would like to thank all of our employees for adhering to the Company’s safety standards and procedures and believe their efforts can assist in raising the industry safety bar higher in the Asia region where we based and operate." Metrojet’s CEO Gary Dolski said, "We are extremely grateful and proud to have received this high-level recognition from IBAC together with other internationally renowned organizations, including NASA." The recognition was for Metrojet's ten-year (10) support and participation in International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations.

Remanufacture specialist Nextant Aviation is joining with its MRO parent Constant aviation in having an office in Orlando. "The opening of a dedicated Nextant office at Orlando Sanford will allow us to serve more customers in a part of the country with an abundant number of aircraft that will benefit from our offerings," said Nextant Aerospace executive v-p Mark O'Donnell.

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. announced late last month it is expanding Gulfstream G600™ completions operations to the Gulfstream Dallas facility, further increasing growth and large-cabin capacity for customers. As part of this expansion, Gulfstream’s director of Savannah completions, Melissa Grant, has been named vice president and general manager of the Dallas facility and will be relocating to facilitate the seamless transition of expertise and experience. "We are seeing great demand for our next-generation aircraft, including the G600," said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream. "Thanks to our long-term strategic planning, the growth of Gulfstream Customer Support at Fort Worth Alliance Airport is allowing us to optimize completions at our Dallas Love Field facility and add the G600 to operations there. Our world-class interior outfitters and artisans in Dallas will deliver the Gulfstream quality and excellence that has made our award-winning interiors the best in the business."

Looks like Pilatus will be building their own paint booth in the United States. Usually their planes have to be painted at least on the base coat level in Stans. The stripes of the livery were applied by third-party painters in the U.S for planes bound for U.S/Canada and South American markets. With the new paint facility/booth currently under construction, Pilatus expects it to go into service by June of 2022. Cost Cutting, limited space and capacity at the Stans factory paint facility in Switzerland, reduction in delivery times to customers and the schedule restrictions and cost of utilizing third-party painting partners were some of the reasons Pilatus decided to build the new paint facility in Colorado near their completions center. The 28,455-sq-ft facility will include a down-draft paint bay, a cross-draft paint bay, and a dedicated preparation bay.

Gulfstream Customer Support.

TMx Aero has now added the Falcon 50 as well as the Hawker 800 to their slew of capabilities. TMx Aero is a Part 145 Repair Station that has FAA, EASA and Transport Canada certifications under its belt.
"Today we are able to service customers flying these two aircraft types, adding them to our ever-growing capabilities list," CEO, Travis Stein explains. "Our team enjoys working with multiple aircraft types and problem solving. We have a robust rotables department allowing us to expedite AOG issues as well as regularly scheduled maintenance, keeping aircraft in the air while also keeping within the client’s budget. Our speed of service and direct, extensive knowledge is really what sets us apart."