MROs and Completion Centers

Million Air has announced the construction of a new 52,000-square foot ClearSpan hangar at Houston Hobby airport

The new hangar will complement Million Air Houston’s existing footprint of seven hangars and nearly 99,000 sq. ft. of hangar space. The structure will have a 300ft door and 28ft height clearance allowing for housing of G650 sized aircraft. The company will tear-down two smaller hangars and and demolish a car parking area to make the room for the new hangar. With construction already started, the new hangar is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2018.

Aviation property development and management firm Aeroplex/Aerolease Group has partnered with Los Angeles-based PCS Energy to create the first solar energy project at California’s Van Nuys Airport (VNY). The project, consisting of some 4,000 solar panels, will cover 150,000 sq ft on the roofs of the four hangars at the company’s Van Nuys East complex. “We’ve been working on it for a number of months,” said Aeroplex CEO Curt Castagna. “The reflectivity test with the FAA has been approved.” Once online, the system will generate 2.5 million kilowatts of energy annually—enough to power 200 homes—and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than four million pounds a year. According to the terms of the deal, PCS leased the roof space and will install the panels, as well as retrofit all of the complex’s interior offices, ramp and parking lot light fixtures to LED. AIN

Flying Colours recently finished an interior cabin on a Bombardier Global Express. They have mirrored an interior on a previous project that Flying Colours did for the same client. Below is a photo of the interior.

Dassault Aviation is embarking on an ambitious expansion of its global customer service network including new and expanded spare parts facilities and additional service centers, intended to further enhance the quality and timeliness of Falcon aftermarket support. This month, Dassault starts work on a vast new spares facility north of Paris, strategically positioned between Charles de Gaulle and Le Bourget airports that will improve the speed and efficiency of spare parts shipments to Falcon customers throughout Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. It will replace existing facility at Le Bourget and complement a large spares complex in Teterboro, New Jersey. "Optimizing the customer experience has always been our top priority at Dassault," said Jacques Chauvet, Senior VP Worldwide Customer Service. "Our ability to get spare parts out to customers as fast as possible has made us the industry standard." The $50 million, 18,000 square meter (194,000 sq ft) facility will feature the latest advancements in logistics and warehousing technologies, including a new spares management system designed to speed up parts dispatch and provide ample room for future growth. The complex is due to enter service in late 2018.

Flying Colours has completed another major project. This time, their avionics team finshed its first installation of a Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 Advanced avionics suite in a Bombardier Challenger 300. The installation was completed while the aircraft was undergoing a scheduled maintenance check at the MRO company’s Missouri facility at Spirit of St. Louis Airport.

Dassault Falcon Jet is pleased to introduce Skyservice Toronto as a new Authorized Service Center (ASC), allowing the facility to perform line maintenance, AOG support and other services on Falcon 900EX EASy and 2000EX EASy model families. Located at Toronto’s Pearson Airport (CYYZ), Skyservice’s 160,000 sq ft facility is equipped to provide line maintenance services for both local and transient operators. While the ASC hub is located in Skyservice’s Toronto facility, AOG situations are also supported through their Montreal and Calgary facilities. In addition to Transport Canada approval, Skyservice holds maintenance certifications from the United States, Europe, Bermuda and Hong Kong. Skyservice also is an Authorized Honeywell Service Center for the TFE731 series engines.

Along with in-house maintenance services, including ‘A’ series checks, Skyservice offers AOG GoTeam dispatch capabilities with appropriate tooling and equipment to repair an aircraft in a remote location. Additionally, Skyservice FBOs in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Ottawa have been recognized as Canada’s leading facilities by numerous national and international industry surveys for several years. The Toronto facility is the 52nd service center in Dassault’s global Falcon support network.

JetAviation has opened a new hangar at the Singapore MRO. It is in operation but the facility is expected to have it's grand opening in February 2018.
"We built this new hangar to help meet strong demand for local business aviation services, especially for more mature long-range aircraft,” explained John Riggur, the facility’s vice president and general manager. “Our investment in the future with this new hangar clearly demonstrates our commitment to meeting the needs of our customers."

Gulfstream marks five years of Gulfstream Beijing operations

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. recently celebrated five years of successful operations at Gulfstream Beijing, its company-owned service center in China. The facility, a joint venture between Gulfstream and HNA Technic, was the first factory-owned business-jet service center in China when it opened in November 2012. “Gulfstream Beijing is a valuable resource for Beijing-based operators and those traveling through China,” said Derek Zimmerman, president, Gulfstream Product Support. “As the Gulfstream fleet in the Asia-Pacific region continues to grow and mature, we will enhance and add to the services we provide at Gulfstream Beijing.”

“As a shareholder of Gulfstream Beijing, HNA Technic will continue to support its growth,” said Zhang Zhigang, chairman of HNA Technic. “The continuous extension of the aviation maintenance industry chain over the last several years has enabled our company to expand and add services and capabilities. We look forward to adding additional resources and exploring synergies with our partner for the ongoing development of Gulfstream Beijing.”

Flying Colours has completed work on a new paint shop in anticipation of paint work for Bombardier Global 5000 and 6000 units. A recent contract with MHI Canada Aerospace will see Flying Colours paint as many as 40 Global 5000 and 6000 fuselages a year. The company built the new 4,000 square foot, 1-million dollar facility which has storage, offices as well as the all-important spray bays -two of them-. Flying Colours has been dealing with Global aircraft for about ten years now and therefore, MHI Canada Aerospace believes they have the capability to take on the task of the demand.

Remy St-Martin has been promoted to Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer of Dassault Aircraft Services (DAS), Dassault’s company-owned service center network for the Americas. DAS is a wholly owned Dassault affiliate headquartered in Wilmington, DE and specialized in maintenance, interior modifications, paintwork and upgrades. St-Martin most recently served as Vice President and General Manager of DAS Little Rock. He will report to Geoff Chick, Senior Vice President, Customer service at Dassault Falcon Jet. “Remy’s extensive customer service background makes him the ideal leader to further improve the efficiency, service quality and close customer relationship that characterize Dassault factory owned service center operations,” said Chick. “His easy going manner, can-do attitude and longtime Falcon expertise will be definite assets in his new role.”

St-Martin will be responsible for leading the DAS management team, defining strategic, operational and financial objectives to enhance the Falcon customer experience and meet new company goals.St-Martin joined Dassault Falcon Jet in 2013 as Senior Director, Customer Experience before moving on to join the DAS organization. Prior to that, the aviation veteran served in several positions at Discovery Air Technical Services in Canada, most recently as President. He has also held a variety of customer service responsibilities with other business aviation companies and served with the Canadian Armed Forces. St-Martin graduated from the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. yesterday (Feb 16th, 2018) announced its plans to construct a new service center at Wisconsin’s Appleton International Airport to support its growing customer fleet. This additional Gulfstream Appleton facility, which will complement the existing hangar and office space, is expected to begin operations in the second quarter of 2019 and create approximately 200 jobs.Gulfstream will develop an approximately $40 million, nearly 180,000-square-foot/16,723-square-meter maintenance, repair and overhaul facility northeast of the airport terminal. The new building will include a hangar, offices, back shops and support space. The expansion will boost the number of employees at Gulfstream Appleton to more than 1,000.

Groundbreaking is scheduled for the second quarter of 2018.

Jet Aviation announced that its third hangar project at Seletar Aerospace Park in Singapore is now in operation. The company hosted the grand opening ceremony of the facility on site during the recently concluded Singapore Airshow earlier this month on February 7, 2018. With this third hangar, the company has total hangar space in Singapore of 11,650 square meters.

Jet Aviation tripled its capacity in Singapore with the opening of a second hangar in 2014, a 5,000-square-meter maintenance facility. The company began operating its third, 3,850-square-meter hangar in December 2017. The two newest hangars were built in cooperation with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB) and Jurong Town Council (JTC) Corporation in direct response to growing demand for large, long-range business jets in the region. Bringing much needed aircraft service capacity to the region, hangar two permits up to five Gulfstream G650 or five Bombardier Global Express 7000 aircraft. Hangar three can accommodate an additional two Boeing Business Jets (BBJs) or Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJs), or five Gulfstream G550 aircraft. It features a larger, upgraded Interior Shop, including a 300-square-meter extension for drying rooms, a new soft goods area and Wood Shop, and also adds 315 square meters of storage space.

"Jet Aviation is fully committed to meeting the needs of our customers as close to demand as possible," said John Riggir, general manager of Jet Aviation's MRO and FBO facility in Singapore and vice president of the company's operations in Asia." Whether that means investing in infrastructure or the latest technologies, we remain focused on meeting their requirements to the highest quality and safety standards — which this new hangar clearly demonstrates."

Jet Aviation recently received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorizing its MRO facility in Hong Kong to support 48- and 36-month inspections on N-registered Dassault Falcon 7X/8X and Falcon 900 series aircraft, respectively. As a fully Authorized Dassault Falcon Line Service Center, this approval permits the Jet Aviation maintenance facility in Hong Kong to extend its existing FAA approval to further support 48-month inspections for Dassault Falcon 7X/8X aircraft and 36-month inspections for Dassault Falcon 900 series aircraft.

“Jet Aviation has a long standing relationship with Dassault Falcon and we are very pleased to extend our support to Falcon owners and operators of N-registered aircraft flying in the region,” said John Riggir, general manager of Jet Aviation's MRO and FBO facility in Singapore and vice president of the company's operations in Asia. “There has been an increase in demand for local, more accessible services and these approvals improve our ability to meet the needs of the Dassault Falcon customer base in Asia.”

Jet Aviation’s maintenance facility in Geneva recently installed its first Honeywell JetWave satellite communications hardware system in a Global 6000. The JetWave satellite terminals operate on Inmarsat Aviation’s GX Ka-band network to provide high-speed broadband connectivity. Jet Aviation has agreed to do a second such installation on a Global 6000 in May 2018. By enabling high-speed internet connection, the JetWave satellite communications technology ensures crews and passengers can make inter-continental telephone calls, send emails, surf the internet and stream live video, improving flight safety and operations, while enhancing the flight experience.

Expansion has taken place at Flying Colours St. Louis facility. Flying Colours is a completions center in Missouri and with the new expansion, the facility has grown from 5,570m² (60,000ft²) to 9,300m². All in the need to satisfy the growing demand for more customers coming to them for their detailed cabinetry and interior completions work. The extension houses the design, build and finishing of woodwork monuments, such as galleys for VIP cabins, as well as seat upholstery, engineering, and avionics services, says Flying Colours. This improves efficiency, and combined with the additional workshop space, is set to increase St. Louis productivity by 600% during the first year.

It appears that One Aviation will give up the lease for the Eclipse Service Center after a voluntary agreement with officials at Chicago Executive Airport (PWK) to vacate the service center at that airport by May 31. This means that a new facility will be opened to satisfy Eclipse jet owners and operators. One Aviation suggests that one will be opened in the coming weeks in the Chicago area. No details were given as to where exactly the new service center will be located or a more precise time frame.

Pilatus recently named Cutter Aviation its authorized sales and service center for the Southwestern U.S., which includes Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado region. Tempus Aircraft, who previously held this position with Pilatus, is currently under receivership. In addition to taking over Tempus Aircraft’s service center at Centennial Airport (APA) on April 1, Cutter Aviation will offer Pilatus services from its Dallas and San Antonio locations starting this summer. (AIN)

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. today announced plans to build a new service center at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in response to its growing customer fleet’s needs for maintenance and service. The service center is expected to open in the second quarter of 2019 and create about 200 jobs. Gulfstream will invest approximately US$55 million to build the 202,000-square-foot/18,766- square-meter maintenance, repair and overhaul facility on the east side of the airport. The building will include hangar space, offices and back shops, and will complement the main Gulfstream Savannah Service Center, the world’s largest purpose-built business jet maintenance facility.

“This expansion of our customer service and support organization is the result of the strong and steady fleet growth we’ve had for several years and the arrival of the Gulfstream G500 and G600 in the coming months,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream. “As we’ve announced recently, we’re also growing to meet customer needs in Appleton, Wisconsin, and Van Nuys, California. These new facilities will keep us well-positioned for support, maintenance and refurbishment of the Gulfstream fleet, which is now at nearly 2,700 aircraft and continues to grow.”

Tamarack Aerospace Group has announced that it approved four new independent maintenance facilities as authorized installers of its ATLAS Active Winglets for the Cessna Citation business jet line. You can get this service done at these installers now. The new authorized installers are as follows:

• Eagle Aviation, Columbia SC
• Western Aircraft, Boise ID
• Northeast Air, Portland ME
• Duncan Aviation, Lincoln NE

Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, today launched its upgraded warranty claims processing site at the company’s 2018 Customer Conference in Wichita, Kansas. The improved site integrates new functionality into its claim processing and post-purchase support designed to provide a simple, convenient and intuitive experience for customers. The upgraded claims site can be accessed online by visiting claims.txtav.com.


Through a customer advisory board (CAB), the company worked directly with customers to develop the site to deliver a more seamless online experience. To capture the full spectrum of user perspectives, the CAB consisted of 14 individuals in a variety of roles and organizations, including directors of maintenance, owner operators, aircraft management companies, flight departments, authorized service facilities, international customers and mechanics. “Working hand-in-hand with our customer advisory board over the span of several months, we worked to ensure we fully understood customer needs and priorities when interacting with the claims processing site,” said Kriya Shortt, senior vice president of Customer Service. “And I’m thrilled with the result – a streamlined, intuitive site that equips customers with the tools to more efficiently and easily submit their claims, which instills greater confidence in the ease and accuracy of their claims.”