Marshall Aviation Services – the business and commercial aviation arm of Marshall Aerospace & Defence Group – is planning to offer widebody VIP completions next year from its Cambridge airport base.
The move is part of the company’s plan to double the annual turnover from its business aviation activities from £50 million ($80 million) in 2013 to £100 million by the end of the decade.
“Maintenance, repair and overhaul is at the core of what we do here,” says James Dillon-Godfray, vice president, business development for Marshall Aviation Services.
Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group is a long-established provider of military aircraft MRO – notably on the UK Royal Air Force’s Lockheed L-1011 TriStar and Lockheed Martin C-130K fleets.
However, as this work has slowed down, the company has increased its focus on the more stable business aviation sector.
In September 2013 Marshall acquired Beechcraft’s 50-year-old flagship European service centre in Broughton, from where it provides engineering support services across a range of Hawker and Beechcraft products. Marshall also supports the Cessna Citation business jet and Bombardier’s Global Express family from its Cambridge base and is keen to expand the aircraft types in its MRO portfolio.
“We are now looking at the VIP airliner market,” says Dillon-Godfray. “We have both the capacity and the experience, so it seems a logical next step,” he adds.
The facility will be housed in Hangar 17, which is now being upgraded to accommodate a brand new dedicated paint facility for a Boeing 747-size aircraft and an interior completions area. “We will start by offering refurbishments. There should be plenty of business – many BBJs have been in service for years [and] are ready for a re-rag,” says Dillon Godfray, adding: “We may look at introducing green completions eventually.”
Meanwhile, Marshall has signed an agreement with UK air taxi company Blink to provide multi-year MRO and technical support for its six Cessna Citation Mustang business jets from its Cambridge base. This contract follows hard on the heels of a similar contract with Spanish operator Sur Aviation to support its entry-level Mustang fleet.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
