MROs and Completion Centers

Progress continues on schedule for Textron Aviation’s parts and distribution expansion in Wichita, Kansas. All flooring, exterior walls, windows and roof are in place for the company’s 180,000 square-foot parts warehouse expansion. Now, the team is focused on interior finishes, including wiring, painting and preparing the space for the thousands of Cessna, Beechcraft and Hawker parts the company stocks and ships to support customers around the world. The project, which broke ground in October 2022, is on track to be completed by the end of the year. The new footprint includes additional room for parts storage, warehouse space, offices and dedicated customer support analysts.

Execujet MRO Services Australia is presently positioning itself for the entry of the Falcon 6X. Grant Ingall, Regional VP Australasia at ExecuJet MRO Services,, commented: "Our investment in training and tooling for the 6X strengthens our position as a 'center of excellence' for Dassault Aviation civil aircraft in Australasia. The tooling we are investing in includes the specific ones for the Falcon 6X airframe and PW812D engines. We are also applying for certification from the relevant civil aviation regulators, such as the US FAA, to be approved to do line maintenance on this new aircraft type," adds Ingall.

Some Gulfstream news...they have introduced a large paint facility. A 15 million dollar 73,000-sq-ft paint hangar at its Appleton, Wisconsin service center and large-cabin completions facility is now operational.
"This latest expansion in Appleton is another example of our continued investment in people and facilities as we expand to meet the demands of the growing Gulfstream fleet," said company president Mark Burns. "Our customers already benefit from the quality and craftsmanship of our aircraft completions work and the unrivaled support we offer in Appleton. The opening of this new paint hangar means that we can provide even more convenience and options to Gulfstream customers."

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. recently announced the official opening of its new world-class paint hangar in Appleton, Wisconsin, which is also home to a Gulfstream Service Center and a large-cabin completions facility. The expansion is part of a multiyear plan announced in 2021 that provides customers the flexibility to experience the entire aircraft completions process in Appleton. This strategic growth has significantly increased operations and created more than 200 jobs in the region.

Gulfstream's Fort Worth service center.

Dassault Aviation will open a new company owned service center at São Paulo’s recently opened Catarina International Executive Airport. The center will replace Dassault’s current facility at Sorocaba.

Set to open in early 2024, the Catarina facility will offer nearly 40,000 square feet (3600 square meters) of floor and office space and accommodate up to five Falcon aircraft at a time. It will be large enough for the new ultra-long range Falcon 10X, currently in development.

Dassault Falcon Jet Catarina will be able to perform line maintenance up to ‘B’ level checks for Brazilian-registered Falcons in the Falcon 7X and Falcon 2000 family as well as a Pre-Purchase Evaluation (PPE) program for customers considering purchasing a pre-owned Falcon. PPE operations include a thorough physical evaluation of the aircraft, systems operational checks and a detailed record search.

The new facility will hold Repair Station certification from Brazil’s Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil (ANAC), the FAA, and EASA, as well as from airworthiness authorities in Argentina, Bermuda and Uruguay. It will be authorized to perform line maintenance and most major inspections on the Falcon 50, 900 and 2000 series models, as well as on the Falcon 7X and 8X.

In addition to airframe inspections and service, the facility will be qualified to provide engine line maintenance on the CFE-738; Honeywell TFE731; and Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307A, PW307D and PW308C models. It will also conduct specialized non-destructive testing (NDT) procedures, such as penetrant and eddy current tests. A full service battery shop will be available to repair, replace or charge main and emergency batteries on Falcon or other aircraft models.

The location will continue to support an AOG ‘Go Team’, trained to provide rapid mobile response directly to any aircraft location in South America, along with the parts and tools necessary to get a Falcon back in the air flying with minimal delay.

A short ride from São Paulo, Catarina Executive Airport is Brazil’s first international airport dedicated to business aviation. The airport’s 8,100 foot (2,470 meter) long runway is equipped for instrument approaches.

ExecuJet MRO Services Europe (ExecuJet), a wholly owned subsidiary of Dassault Aviation, has appointed Nadia Coetzee as General Manager – Brussels. Ms. Coetzee will focus on expanding support to customers including the growth of its AOG support business. Coetzee was previously based at ExecuJet’s global headquarters in Lanseria, near Johannesburg, in South Africa where she was the supervisor in charge of the company’s Technical Services department. In that role she managed all aspects of aircraft maintenance projects. “Putting AOG aircraft quickly back into service is highly valued by our customers and is a business we know well,” said Coatzee. “It helps build loyalty and lead to repeat inspection and service business.” ExecuJet MRO Services Europe is part of Dassault Aviation’s Maintenance Control Centre (MCC). The Brussels facility has responded to AOGs throughout Europe and Africa. “We’re qualified and certified to respond to AOGs anywhere in the world, depending on the aircraft type and registration,” says Coetzee.

Embraer is opening a few more MRO stations in 2024. Embraer Executive Jets is doubling its maintenance service network in the U.S. from three to six facilities. “We are pleased to offer additional service locations for our customers as we will significantly expand the capacity, capability, and footprint of our MRO network in the U.S.,” said Embraer Services and Support v-p of MRO services Frank Stevens. “Our Executive Jets fleet has been growing rapidly over the last several years as strong demand continues across the entire product portfolio. This expansion will provide immediate additional capacity and ensures that we are poised to care for our valued customers and strategically grow for many years to come.”

Duncan Aviation is now finished with some newly constructed hangars at its Lincoln (Nebraska) Airport (KLNK) and Battle Creek (Michigan) Executive Airport (KBTL) facilities. Both of them have since received their first customer aircraft. A large cabin Bombardier Global 5000 arrived at the new KLNK hangar while a smaller midsize Challenger 300 was brought to the KBTL site later. Below is a look at that Challenger aircraft in the new hangar.

Gulfstream Aerospace recently officially opened its expanded service center at the company’s Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (KSAV) headquarters in Georgia. “We continue to expand and enhance our service capabilities in support of the continued growth of Gulfstream’s next-generation fleet, including the recently certified G700,” said Gulfstream Customer Support president Derek Zimmerman. “The Savannah Service Center East expansion is part of our long-term strategic plan to create the industry’s most modern and sustainable service network, while significantly enhancing access and convenience for our customers.”

Bombardier is pleased to announce that it has added a new line maintenance station in Farnborough, UK further complementing its customer service footprint in Europe. The introduction of the new option builds on the turnkey, OEM service Bombardier customers receive in the region. Located at the Farnborough Airport, the new Farnborough Line Maintenance Station brings Bombardier’s worldwide number of line maintenance stations to 9, providing customers with light scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, as well as Aircraft on Ground (AOG) support. The technical engineers supporting the new location are certified for all Learjet, Challenger and Global series business jets.

Dassault Falcon Jet has opened a new maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at Sao Paulo, Brazil’s new Catarina Executive International Airport. Sao Paulo-Catarina offers nearly 40,000 square feet (3,600 square meters) of floor and office space and can accommodate up to five Falcons simultaneously. It is large enough to handle Dassault’s largest jets, including the ultra-long range extra widebody Falcon 10X, currently in development. The facility is qualified to handle maintenance and overhaul operations up to ‘B’ level checks for Brazilian registered Falcons in the Falcon 7X/8X and Falcon 2000 family. It is also equipped to perform Pre-Purchase Evaluations (PPE’s) for customers considering acquiring a pre-owned Falcon. Catarina holds Repair Station certification from Brazil’s Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil (ANAC), the FAA and EASA, as well as from airworthiness authorities in Argentina, Bermuda and Uruguay. It is authorized to perform line maintenance and major inspections on Falcon 50, 900 and 2000 series models, the Falcon 7X and the Falcon 8X.

Bombardier is pleased to announce that it has added a new line maintenance station in Farnborough, UK further complementing its customer service footprint in Europe. The introduction of the new option builds on the turnkey, OEM service Bombardier customers receive in the region. Located at the Farnborough Airport, the new Farnborough Line Maintenance Station brings Bombardier’s worldwide number of line maintenance stations to 9, providing customers with light scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, as well as Aircraft on Ground (AOG) support. The technical engineers supporting the new location are certified for all Learjet, Challenger and Global series business jets.

Duncan Aviation.

Some companies are trying to make their interiors a bit more sustainable and eco-friendly and this is from the perspective of the materials chosen to outfit executive jet cabins. One of these companies is Austrian F/List. Business aircraft like the Pilatus PC-12 and PC-24 are some of the cabins being targeted. Some clients are moving in that direction where they can still have a stylish cabin but with a more responsible process and materiality.

Haven Aviation, a relatively young MRO provider in Texas has exceeded its previous location which was a 10,000 sq ft facility and now moved into a much larger 40,000 sq ft facility at the same Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport (KAMA). “Our specialty lies in the legacy Citations and CJs and some of the more off-the-path jets like Premiers and Beechjets,” said CEO Travis Lamance. “We do a lot of those and then the whole King Air line and anything [Pratt & Whitney Canada] PT6 powered.” The company is well positioned with avionics dealer authorization from Garmin and Collins and is soon to secure approval from Honeywell. On the airframe modification side, it holds authorizations from Blackhawk, Raisbeck, and BLR.

Duncan Aviation...

Pilatus has approved Jet Aviation Dubai as an Authorized PC-24 Service Center. The company is already certified to offer maintenance services for the PC-12 single-engine turboprop – and now its maintenance portfolio also includes the Super Versatile Jet. With the addition of the PC-24 Super Versatile Jet, Jet Aviation Dubai now performs maintenance and repair services for all Pilatus business aviation aircraft. Jet Aviation is located at Dubai International Airport, where it provides the highest standards of support to our customers. André Zimmermann, Vice President Business Aviation at Pilatus, emphasizes: “Demand for our PC-24 Super Versatile Jet continues to grow worldwide, which is why we are constantly expanding our support network. The location of Jet Aviation Dubai at Dubai International Airport will help us to better serve our customers in the Middle East.”

Blackhawk has acquired Glendale Aero Services’ maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) business in Arizona and will be renamed or rebranded as a Blackhawk Performance Center (BPC). Located at Glendale Municipal Airport (KGEU), BPC-Glendale is a Part 145 certified repair station and is a factory-authorized service center for Cirrus Aircraft and Textron Aviation (Cessna). It specializes in servicing Cirrus SR pistons and SF50 Vision Jets, along with Cessna models, and the location's capabilities include Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) servicing and avionics installations as a Garmin dealer.