The largest independent MRO provider in the business aviation industry, Jet Aviation derives the bulk of its revenue from its MRO business. Capable of servicing all aircraft types and sizes, its maintenance facilities are approved by all major manufacturers and rated as jet aircraft repair stations by aviation authorities worldwide. 

In addition to Basel, it has MRO hubs in Dubai, Singapore and St Louis in the United States. These hubs are complemented by eight feeder facilities across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and elsewhere in the US. 

Jet Aviation's core values prioritise excellence in all aspects of its operations and across the full spectrum of its capabilities. Beyond FBO and MRO operations, the scope of expertise includes VIP completions, refurbishment and staffing services, along with aircraft management and chartering. The company manages a fleet of more than 250 aircraft worldwide.

"Our longevity drives our commitment on many levels," Smith says. "We have experience and know-how that are well-respected in the market and shaped around the highest industry standards. Our customers have learned to trust in our ability to meet their requirements and they value our dedication to doing so. We truly have earned and continue to earn their loyalty. Of course, our ability to provide the whole range of services embedded in our Client Circle of Benefits logo allows us to offer clients an unequalled level of consistency and continuity of service." 

All-in-one approach

The relationship began in 1967 when Carl Hirschmann, Jet Aviation's founder, opened a maintenance facility in Basel for business aircraft. It was the first of its kind in Europe, and the birthplace of VIP completions. Ten years into the maintenance business, Hirschmann had the vision to outfit an airplane for heads of state and industry icons. Company veteran Elie Zelouf and his team were given the mandate to implement the novel idea. Only three months later, they delivered a Convair 880 airliner with a bedroom and a shower at the 1977 Paris Air Show. A succession of Boeing aircraft was thereafter booked for VIP interior outfitting, establishing the Basel facility as a premiere completions centre. 

"We also hope to sign a 787 VIP completions project in the near future, which is a composite airframe and requires a significant amount of innovation from our engineering team," Smith says. "We received EASA [European Aviation Safety Agency] certification for a cabin interior installation on a BBJ1, which was completed in nine months. This remarkable completions cycle was only possible because of our commitment to continuous improvement and our ability to leverage technology developments made through our extensive investment in the Boeing 787 platform. Since 1999, Jet Aviation Basel has redelivered its 25th Boeing BBJ." 

With the Boeing 787 in mind, the Jet Aviation Basel Design Studio also developed its "Timeless to Visionary" design concept, which won the Society of British and International Design's much-anticipated contract visualisation award in 2013. The concept provides a glimpse into the future of cabin interior design, particularly as aircraft manufacturers increasingly introduce lightweight airframes of composite structures. The characteristic design approach is applicable to all wide-body aircraft. 

Completions work goes far beyond the aesthetic in business aviation. It requires a full understanding of and respect for leading engineering practices and testing the boundaries of many possibilities. For the Dreamliner, 

Jet Aviation engineers teamed up with Boeing in Seattle to receive a first-hand briefing on the aircraft's details and composition. To complement the Boeing 787 aircraft, the company has also developed new technologies over the past three years in order to standardise the aircraft interface and automate data generation. 

Alongside Basel, Jet Aviation St Louis is also recognised as a world-renowned completions centre. Together, the two facilities have completed more than 400 VIP interiors for business jets since 1977. An industry leader in North America, which is the largest market in business aviation, St Louis outfits solely Bombardier aircraft including the Challenger and Global 6000.

Jet Aviation's size and scale are unsurpassed in the aviation industry. The breadth of its capabilities allows the company to service an entire fleet in one location, providing a consistent level of service. In addition, its ability to service components by original equipment manufacturers makes Jet Aviation a value-added partner for corporate flight departments and charter companies of all sizes. 

"We have very different levels of interaction with our customer base because of our comprehensive, all-in-one approach to service," Smith says. "The ability to provide customers with a full range of maintenance services, aircraft management and charter services - in addition to offering completions service and having FBOs based in key markets around the world - is difficult to match. It is our intention to keep expanding our offerings to add value wherever needed and in line with what we anticipate our customers will require in the long term."

Investment in Asia

Following the extraordinary demand for its expertise in Asia, Jet Aviation began operations in Singapore in 1995 by setting up an FBO and maintenance facility. Since 2001, the company has also been operating an aircraft management and charter division and a line maintenance repair station for Bombardier, Gulfstream and Falcon aircraft in Hong Kong.

Responding to growing demand over the past five years, Jet Aviation has tripled the size of its Singapore operation with a new hangar facility at Seletar Aerospace Park which it inaugurated in May last year. This facility continues to offer FBO services in addition to providing handling supervision services at Singapore Changi Airport.

"In the early 1990s, there was a rise of demand in the Asian market and we felt it was the right time to expand to Asia," says Heinz Aebi, senior vice-president for group marketing and communications. "With the 1997 market downturn, we were forced to make significant adjustments. The challenge for us and the industry was the shrinking market space. Our commitment, however, was not wavering as we believed in the market and the potential to deliver the highest quality of service." 

This determination and long-term perspective fuel Jet Aviation's dedication to the Asian region.

Jet Aviation has invested more than US$25 million in its Singapore expansion. Its total hangar space at Seletar is an impressive 100,965 sq ft, with an expanded apron that offers direct tarmac access. A hub for larger maintenance checks, the facility can accommodate the Boeing Business Jet, Airbus Corporate Jet and up to five Gulfstream G650s or five Bombardier Global Express 7000 aircraft. 

The company has more than doubled the number of skilled workers at its Singapore hub since 2010 and is proud to note that 73 per cent of its employees are Singaporean. It invests in the local talent pool through the jointly funded Licensed Aircraft Engineer Training Program offered by Air Transport Training College. This investment is part of the company's long-term outlook to add value to the markets in which it operates. 

Asia's tremendous growth over the past few years has expanded Jet Aviation's managed fleet nearly tenfold in the region since 2009. Today, Jet Aviation manages 30 aircraft out of Hong Kong, where the company provides 24/7 aircraft management, flight support and charter services. 

"We anticipate steady growth in the region as we continue to cater to the market and serve the various needs of our clients," Smith says. 

Aside from strengthening the aerospace cluster at Seletar, Jet Aviation's investments are expected to fuel further growth in business aviation, especially the MRO business throughout Singapore and Asia. "We continuously strive to add value for our clients and we are fully prepared to go where the market requires us," Smith says.