California operator focuses on servicing Gulfstreams
Van Nuys-based Western Jet Aviation has made a name for itself servicing Gulfstreams, and general manager Jim Hansen attributes the success of his company

Van Nuys-based Western Jet Aviation has made a name for itself servicing Gulfstreams, and general manager Jim Hansen attributes the success of his company to its motto: “Treat every airplane as if you were the owner.”

Hansen got his first job on Van Nuys Airport in 1973, and he’s been there ever since. “I started with Jet Center and by 1985 I had worked my way up to director of maintenance,” he said. “[When I started] we had gross revenue of about $2.5 million; when I left in 1999 it topped $8 million. The problem was the company was on its third or fourth buy-out and I decided it was time to move on.”