AIN Staff

On an average day, more than 150 Bombardier Learjet, Challenger, and Global business jets can be found inside the hangars of nine Bombardier Service Centres strategically located around the globe.
Some of these aircraft are regular visitors for periodic maintenance, while others have flown in for 96-month or 120-month inspections, major cabin retrofits, avionics upgrades, or the installation of a new high-speed internet system.In 2017, Bombardier Business Aircraft gathered all its activities across the Customer Experience team associated with new products and services for the aftermarket and consolidated them in a new group with a mandate for rapid growth.
“Our new organizational model is now even more focused on our customers’ needs, and every member of our team is driven by the same goal—to deliver an exceptional customer experience.
<img alt data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7d463311-cfe3-4651-b946-d14089bd00c8" src="/sites/default/files/exterirorshot1.jpg" width="2400" height="1800" loading="lazy">
“The first thing that distinguishes Bombardier from anyone else is that we really know our airplanes,” says Jean-Christophe Gallagher, Vice President and General Manager, Customer Experience, BBA. “We’ve got thousands of engineers who have designed them, built them, and delivered them to the customer, so we’re clearly in the best position to provide tip-to-tail upgrades and service.
“Bombardier is a leader in business aviation aftermarket support with 1,000 skilled and experienced technicians at our Service Centres. We want to ‘bring our jets home’ by offering a complete set of solutions: parts, services, maintenance, completions, upgrades, and training to further grow our aftermarket business.”
And growing its worldwide aftermarket business is exactly what Bombardier Business Aircraft has been doing in the last several months. Last year, Bombardier Business Aircraft opened new international service centers in Tianjin, China in April and Biggin Hill airport near London in May; established five new line maintenance centers in Europe; increased its project manager team by 30 percent; hired 20 percent more technicians; expanded its U.S. service capacity by 20 percent; and rolled out more than a dozen new business aircraft products and services.
And in the years to come, BBA will double its aftermarket support business to offer more products and services than ever before.
<h2>New Smart Services</h2>
Bombardier has been a leader in aftermarket services since 1986, when it launched the pioneering Smart Parts program as the first airframe systems cost-per-flight-hour cost protection plan for customers in business aviation.
At regular intervals, Bombardier has updated Smart Parts. The latest and most comprehensive program—Smart Services—launched at the 2017 National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention.
Smart Services is designed to serve both new aircraft deliveries and all existing Bombardier business jet operators’ aircraft with up to 20 years of service.
Designed for maximum operator flexibility, the Smart Services program gives customers the ability to select additional coverage options on landing gear overhaul, cabin system components, scheduled labor, and unscheduled labor related to part removals from normal operation.
“This is a fixed-rate, all-inclusive turn-key solution that provides complete maintenance cost management and predictability,” says Sean Johnson, Senior Director, Aftermarket Products, for Bombardier Business Aircraft. “We have extended the innovative program to new areas, such as unscheduled maintenance labor, which is an industry first.
“There really is a lot of flexibility to the program, and we now have a more à la carte approach to all the features an operator can add to the program.”
Of course, not every Bombardier jet is currently enrolled in Smart Services, but Gallagher says, “The perfect time to enroll an older aircraft into the program is when it changes owners.”
“As a first step, we recommend that buyers contact their Regional Sales Manager to prepare a very cost competitive Smart Services proposal.”
Bombardier’s transaction data shows that over the life of an aircraft, a business jet enrolled in Smart Services has a higher residual value and sells in less time than an aircraft outside the program. And Smart Services contracts can be transferred to a new owner.
<h2>Expanding Service Centres</h2>
When a Bombardier business aircraft visits a Bombardier Service Centre for a major 96-month or 120-month inspection, the downtime is a perfect opportunity for the owner to upgrade the avionics, cabin systems, interior furnishings, and exterior paint.
Last year, Bombardier performed 50 major inspections, including 96-month inspections for Challenger 600 series aircraft and 120-month inspections for Global series aircraft, and in January 2017, the company completed the milestone 200th 96-month heavy inspection on its Challenger jets.
The new Service Centre at London Biggin Hill Airport in the UK has close to 100,000 square feet to support more than 600 Bombardier business jets based in Europe. And in China, the new 8,500-square-metre (95,766-square-foot) Tianjin Service Centre will help support more than 280 Bombardier business aircraft in Asia, where the company has the largest market share.
<img alt data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="cefb8846-37de-4494-927d-34a1380035da" src="/sites/default/files/_ken2326_0.jpg" width="2400" height="1597" loading="lazy">
All of Bombardier’s nine world-class Service Centres have similar technical capabilities, but the 1 million-square-foot (92,900-square-metre) Service Centre at Tucson International Airport is the largest. Established in 1976, the facility services both commercial and business aircraft, and employs more than 800 engineers, technicians, and staff.
In late 2017, Bombardier opened an interior design center in the Tucson Service Centre, consolidating its interior-design expertise and talent in one atelier. In addition, the meticulous state-of-the-art cabinet workshop has quadrupled its footprint from 1,092 square feet to 4,800 square feet, and will complement existing seat and divan upholstery fabrication areas.
<h2>Avionics Upgrades</h2>
FAA and EASA require all business aircraft to be equipped with Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B Out V2) by 2020 or face being grounded for non-compliance.
Bombardier believes that if an operator waits, it will be too late, so it recommends combining the installation of ADS-B Out V2 with an upcoming maintenance event at a Service Centre to save time and money.
Bombardier has partnered with Rockwell Collins and Nextant Aerospace to upgrade Challenger 604 jets with a Pro Line Fusion touchscreen flight deck.
<img alt data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="60c1a89d-b813-4b30-aa1b-b861cb17256c" src="/sites/default/files/pro-line-604.jpg" width="2000" height="1394" loading="lazy">
The upgrade replaces the factory-installed CRT displays with three 14.1-inch widescreen displays, which feature a Synthetic Vision System (SVS) allowing for enhanced situational awareness.
The system also includes features needed to fly in quickly evolving global airspace, including ADS-B mandate compliance, SBAS-capable GNSS, localizer performance with vertical guidance (LPV) approaches, radius-to-fix (RF) legs, and optional FANS and Link 2000+ for EASA compliance.
Rockwell Collins is developing the Pro Line Fusion STC, and Bombardier will do installations at any one of its Service Centres.
Bombardier is also offering a Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 Advanced avionics upgrade for the Bombardier Challenger 300 and Challenger 605 jets.
Other avionics upgrades introduced in 2017 include an improved cockpit display unit for Learjet aircraft (Honeywell DU-875 Primus Elite upgrade); modular CMS solutions for Global XRS/5000 with Rockwell Collins; and FANS over Iridium for Challenger 604 aircraft.
<h2>Cabin Upgrades</h2>
The first Learjet 23 entered service in 1963, the first widebody Challenger 604 in 1996, and the first ultra-long-range Global Express in 1999.
“We are much more focused on introducing forward-fit features from our production-line aircraft to the aftermarket as retrofits,” says Johnson.
There has always been a link between Bombardier’s new aircraft completion centers and its Service Centres, but now the company is committed to offering every new interior to the aftermarket as well.
For example, elements of the Premier cabin, introduced for the Global 5000 and Global 6000 at EBACE in 2017, can now be retrofitted on any in-service Global aircraft built after 1999, including seats, conference tables, and monuments.
“We are making it easier for owners to refresh an aircraft and keep it looking new if they decide to own it longer,” says Johnson. Installations can be done at the nearest Bombardier Service Centre, or during an aircraft’s visit to Europe or North America, for example, on business.
In 2016, Bombardier became the first aircraft manufacturer to offer the revolutionary Ka-band high-speed data system in a business aircraft cabin. The system is now available on new Challenger 650 and Global series aircraft, and as a retrofit on Challenger 604/605/650 and Global aircraft through Bombardier’s extensive service network.
<img alt data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3a8b53e9-ce54-48cf-b8be-28101e25249b" src="/sites/default/files/bombardier_challengerkaband.jpg" width="2400" height="1350" loading="lazy">
The aircraft maker also partnered with Duncan Aviation to bring to market Gogo Business Aviation’s 4G next-generation air-to-ground (ATG) internet system Gogo Avance L5 on new Bombardier business jets, and as a retrofit on in-service ones. The system uses the Gogo Biz 4G ground network of more than 250 towers, providing reliable connectivity over the continental U.S. and large parts of Canada and Alaska.
“We can also be very flexible with our customers about when and how we serve them. We can bring one of our mobile service trucks to the customer and do the installation in their facility.
“We have the know-how and can provide the best service and ownership experience,” says Johnson.

Bring Your Business Jet Home

Bombardier Business Aircraft has the largest business jet fleet in the sky.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN