Senior Editor

Jerry Siebenmark

With the mid-October opening of FlyExclusive’s 48,000-sq-ft <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2022-10-13/flyexclusive-opens-new-maintenance-hangar">maintenance hangar</a>, the fractional and charter provider’s MRO operation encompasses 150,000 sq ft in Kinston, North Carolina. Moreover, the additional space enables the MRO operation to broaden&nbsp;its capabilities and market, seeking to perform work on business aircraft that aren’t part of the company’s fleet of 92 Cessna Citations.

 


“Being able to expand this facility and have this extra [space] really helped us increase our types of capabilities that we can have access to—larger aircraft types can now come in here. We can now organize, spread out, [and] accommodate more capacity,” Lisa Christine, FlyExclusive senior director of MRO development, told AIN. “Lots of positive things.”

 


A Part 145 repair station for about a year and a half, FlyExclusive’s MRO can provide inspection, line and heavy maintenance, paint, and modifications, including Garmin G5000 avionics and SmartSky connectivity&nbsp;installations. “We’re working with others to be an authorized dealer,” said Bill Tollison, FlyExclusive’s senior v-p of MRO.

 


While FlyExclusive’s fleet comprises Citations, Tollison and Christine said the MRO is capable of working on a variety of airframes, noting that it is working on a Bombardier Challenger 601 and a Dassault Falcon 900. Additionally, the company’s MRO workforce over the past few years has grown from a couple of dozen workers to 266 employees.

 


The addition of a fourth hangar—33,000 sq ft of which is used to house aircraft and perform maintenance with the remaining 15,000 sq ft built out to serve as an interior shop—not only increases FlyExclusive’s fleet maintenance space but allows it to perform work on other&nbsp;jets and turboprops.

 


“Extra special for us is opening our doors to external clients because that’s something you don’t normally see for a Part 135 MRO, not just [servicing] your own fleet [but]&nbsp;being an MRO for hundreds of different private owners,” Christine said. “Being that 135 charter [operator MRO] and also helping out external clients, it’s just very unique and special.”

 


The MRO began offering maintenance services to outside clients early this year. Tollison and Christine were brought on by the company in January&nbsp;“to bring our extensive MRO background, everything from heavy maintenance to storage preservation...to bring those processes here and introduce that and build out the division,” Christine explained.

 


In the company’s push to serve the new group of MRO clientele, FlyExclusive will “send an internal aircraft to another vendor to accommodate the external aircraft,” Tollison said, or push out maintenance on its own aircraft. “In the spirit of wanting to build the business and opening those doors, we are accommodating external clients over our own,” Christine added. “We have that wiggle room and space to accommodate them as they need for their timeline.”

 


Going forward, the MRO is expecting additional growth from the operation, with plans to add a fifth hangar that will be larger than its most recent structure, Tollison said. “We’re looking not only just to expand our facilities to accommodate more employees but build it out locally in Kinston, provide more jobs here, [and]&nbsp;get folks trained up on special skills for these long-term,&nbsp;sustainable jobs,” Christine added.

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

FlyExclusive's MRO Looks To Build External Clientele

The fractional and charter operation's MRO is looking to bring in more work from aircraft operators outside FlyExclusive.

FlyExclusive's MRO Looks for Growth from the Outside

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charles Alcock

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Malaysian maintenance provider can now do more extensive diagnostics and repairs

ExecuJet MRO Services Expands Support for Global Engines

Matt Thurber

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Software is for MRO facilities and continuing airworthiness management organizations

Team Targets Fatigue Management for Aircraft Mx Techs

Jessica Reed

New developments and products in avionics, specifically about aircraft electronics in the cockpit.

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

LT-2400 enables verification of system integrity before scheduling formal inspections

AIR Quality Training Introduces Pitot-static Leak Tester

Facility is the company’s tenth and will be joined by one in Sydney

Bombardier Adds Line Maintenance Station in Perth

Amy Wilder

News and issues concerning the aviation charter and fractional-ownership industries and markets, including company announcements, regulations, new developments and labor issues.

MRO’s technicians will perform quick-turn repairs and troubleshooting 

Elevate MRO Partners with JSX for Light Maintenance

News and developments about everything that goes into the cabin of an aircraft, from floor coverings to headliners, with a special emphasis on in-flight entertainment, communications and other electronics for passengers. If it is in the cabin of an aircraft, it’s covered here.

Work on the wing, cabin, and landing gear was conducted during a 2C inspection 

Falcon 900EX Upgraded with Extensive Mods in South Africa

Curt Epstein

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

More In Maintenance and Modifications

ExecuJet MRO Services Expands Support for Global Engines

Malaysian maintenance provider can now do more extensive diagnostics and repairs

Team Targets Fatigue Management for Aircraft Mx Techs

Software is for MRO facilities and continuing airworthiness management organizations

AIR Quality Training Introduces Pitot-static Leak Tester

LT-2400 enables verification of system integrity before scheduling formal inspections

Bombardier Adds Line Maintenance Station in Perth

Facility is the company’s tenth and will be joined by one in Sydney

Elevate MRO Partners with JSX for Light Maintenance

MRO’s technicians will perform quick-turn repairs and troubleshooting

Falcon 900EX Upgraded with Extensive Mods in South Africa

Work on the wing, cabin, and landing gear was conducted during a 2C inspection

Enstrom Adds to Service Network in Ontario, Canada

Heli-Lynx is now an authorized maintenance provider

Gogo Obtains PMA for Galileo HDX Broadband Antenna

STC work will be underway for installation on 30 aircraft types of all sizes

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN