Tag Archives: #maintenance

Nigeria’s Aero Contractors targets one-stop MRO facility

Aero Contractors (N2, Lagos) expects to complete an expanded maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRTO) facility in Lagos within three months, aiming to create a one-stop maintenance hub for Western and Central Africa and improve its heavy maintenance capabilities, according to CEO and Managing Director Ado Sanusi.

Sanusi spoke to the newspaper Punch after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) in Lagos on March 17 to enhance safety training, knowledge exchange, and human capital development in the industry.

“We are also acquiring new tools and upgrading the hangar to the next level. Our workshop has been modernised and is undergoing expansion to cater for both older and new-generation aircraft,” he said.

As previously reported, Sanusi was appointed in 2017 to turn around Aero Contractors, which has been under the receivership of the state-owned Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) since 2016.

The company’s maintenance division, Aero MRO, has emerged as a strategic expansion of Aero Contractors’ core services, offering line and base maintenance services. Under Sanusi’s leadership, the airline has completed C-checks for B737 Classics, transformed its MRO capabilities, added to its workshop services, and expanded its hangar. Sanusi previously told ch-aviation that all this was being done without external financing.

According to Punch, Aero Contractors has secured line maintenance contracts for operators of B737 MAX and B787s. The carrier is also expanding its capabilities to handle Bombardier Aerospace aircraft, including engine maintenance, auxiliary power unit overhauls, landing gear repairs, and component servicing. Additionally, the MRO unit can perform up to D-checks on B737 Classics and De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Dash 8 aircraft.

The NSIB said in a statement that the MoU with Aero Contractors reinforces Nigeria’s commitment to upholding global aviation safety standards and that the agreement sets a framework for structured training programmes, technical collaboration, and the sharing of resources between NSIB and Aero Contractors. The partnership will see the NSIB’s transportation safety officers and technical personnel undergo specialised on-the-job training using Aero Contractor’s facilities, including simulators and maintenance workshops. In exchange, Aero Contractor technical staff will benefit from NSIB-led training in accident investigation and related disciplines.

Atlantic Jet Partners Aims To Be ‘One Stop Shop’

‘There definitely seems to be an optimism’

Atlantic Jet Partners (AJP), originally established as a light-to-midsize jet sales and acquisitions company, has evolved into a multifaceted aviation company. Guided by CEO Tom Conlan’s vision of creating a “one-stop-shop” for aviation needs, the company has diversified its operations significantly over recent years, encompassing multiple specialized divisions and services.

“Basically what (Conlan) wants to do is from purchase to sale, whatever is needed to do with an aircraft, whether it’s maintenance parts, upgrades, interior refurbishments, engine extension insurance, whatever it might be, we’d like to be able to take care of that in-house for our customers,” AJP chief information officer Stephen Kaufman .

AJP owns and operates numerous subsidiaries, including Sky Aviation Holdings. Initially focused on jet sales, Sky Aviation Holdings made its mark in the light-to-midsize jet market by acquiring and refurbishing legacy jets. These refurbishments include new paint, interiors, engines, and avionics upgrades.

The company’s expansion began with the recruitment of Jim Clifford, an aircraft engineer, to head its TBO division. This program extends the operational life of JT15D engines by 2,000 hours at a fraction of the cost of a traditional overhaul.

Clifford also oversees SkyVue Avionics, an avionics division specializing in cockpit upgrades for legacy aircraft. SkyVue’s product line includes upgrades such as the SkyVue 1000 for Primus 1000-powered Citations, the SkyVue 400 for Beechjets, and the SkyVue 60 for Learjets. These upgrades enhance aircraft functionality with features like dual FMS and WAAS/LPB compliance.

To support maintenance operations, the company established Sky Aircraft Maintenance, a Part 145 maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility located in Lexington, North Carolina. The facility, managed by Steve Trent, includes two hangars totaling more than 22,000 sq ft with an additional 50,000-sq-ft hangar currently under construction.

In fractional ownership, the company launched Sky Flight Air, offering shares in aircraft such as King Airs, Beechjet 400As, Learjet 60s, and Hawker 1000s. The program is positioned as a cost-effective alternative to traditional fractional ownership and jet card providers.

Sky Aviation Insurance, another division, has experienced rapid growth due to targeted marketing and SEO initiatives. The division processes between 30 to 60 aviation-related insurance requests monthly.

The company recently expanded its engineering and manufacturing capabilities with the acquisition of Aerospace Design & Compliance (ADC) in New Castle, Delaware. ADC specializes in engineering work for supplemental type certificate (STC) approvals and recently achieved STC approval for the SkyVue 1000. This approval includes compliance with the FAA’s 2023 cybersecurity standards, enabling secure Bluetooth and Wi-Fi communications.

Complementing ADC, Sky Aviation Holdings acquired a 10,000-sq-ft facility in Melbourne, Florida, named ADC2. This facility will focus on parts manufacturing under FAA Part 21 regulations. The Melbourne site enables the company to design, certify, and manufacture FAA-approved parts in-house, fostering collaboration between certification and manufacturing processes while attracting top aerospace engineers.

Further broadening its maintenance capabilities, the company acquired Aerodyne Turbine Repair & Maintenance in Stuart, Florida. This facility provides a range of services, including hot section inspections, heavy maintenance, preventive maintenance, line maintenance, fuel nozzle repair, and oil analysis.

Additionally, the company purchased Great Lakes Turbines in Toledo, Ohio. This FAA Part 145 component repair station offers services such as welding, fabrication, non-destructive testing, CNC machining, and turbine engine component repair. The Toledo facility enhances the company’s ability to meet rigorous machining and process requirements, attracting aerospace and land-based power clients while streamlining inter-company operations.

Backing up all of this growth activity has been a strong business aviation market. “I think optimism for the economy is, from what we’re seeing, better than ever,” Kaufman said. “There was a lull period during the last four years, there was hesitance, but I think with after the election, the new government coming in, there definitely seems to be an optimism.”

Atlantic Jet Partners Buys Component MRO Specialist

Pompano Beach, Florida-based Atlantic Jet Partners has added more MRO capability to its offerings with the acquisition of Great Lakes Turbines. Based in Holland, Ohio, Great Lakes Turbines specializes in OEM-approved turbine engine component repair, fabrication and machining, and aircraft interior refurbishing.

The acquisition strengthens the services provided by Atlantic Jet Partners family companies, including Sky Aviation Holdings, Sky Aircraft Maintenance, SkyVue Avionics, Aerospace Design & Compliance, Aerodyne Engine Repair & Maintenance, Sky Aviation Insurance Services, Sky Flight Air, and TBO Extension. Adding Great Lakes Turbines also supports Atlantic Jet Partners’ efforts to become more vertically integrated.

Great Lakes is a Part 145 repair station and specializes in welding and fabrication, painting and coatings, cold and thermo-spray processes, tool and equipment design and fabrication, non-destructive testing, conventional and CNC programmable machining and manufacturing, and finishing and cleaning. Atlantic Jet Partners said it will invest in building improvements, office equipment, and tooling “required to run a high-quality manufacturing and FAA repair center.”

“This acquisition represents a pivotal step in our strategic growth planning, allowing us to offer a broader range of services and innovative solutions to our clients,” said Joe Rizzo, COO of Atlantic Jet Partners. “Great Lakes Turbines’ maintenance and repair capabilities with the enhanced ability for CNC machining will complement our existing capabilities, ensuring we continue to lead in the aviation industry.”

Dublin FBO/MRO Receives EASA Part 145 Approval

Alliance Aviation Group plans to expand expertise to more aircraft types

Dublin, Ireland-based MRO provider Alliance Aerospace—a division of Alliance Aviation Group—has received EASA Part 145 approval from the Irish Aviation Authority. The accreditation bolsters capabilities at its 32,300-sq-ft (3,000-sq-m) FBO hangar facility at Dublin Airport (EIDW).

This announcement caps a six-month process and will allow the company to provide MRO and AOG support services from its Dublin base to general aviation customers, with an initial focus on Gulfstreams. The facility holds line maintenance approval for the G650 but plans to add ratings for the remainder of the Gulfstream fleet and business aircraft types from Bombardier and Dassault.

The Part 145 approval augments Alliance Aviation Group’s portfolio of services, including CAMO support, aircraft management, aircraft charter, hangarage, ground handling, trip support services, and technical assistance.

“This approval is another milestone achievement for our ever-expanding facility in Dublin,” said Liam Murphy, Alliance Aviation Group’s FBO regional manager. “Having developed our FBO and ground handling capabilities over the last 18 months, achieving this Part 145 status permits us to expand further and position ourselves to deliver a full-service FBO package to existing and potential new clients.”