Boeing Painting Project Underway

Feb. 6, 2014
Leading Edge Aviation Services recently announced it had successfully painted its first Boeing 777 airliner at its "state-of-the-art" facility at the Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville.

Feb. 05--VICTORVILLE -- A large commercial and military aircraft painting company has officially begun its new program for Boeing in the Victor Valley.

Leading Edge Aviation Services recently announced it had successfully painted its first Boeing 777 airliner at its "state-of-the-art" facility at the Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville.

The aircraft, which was built by Boeing in Everett, Wash., arrived in California on Jan. 3, where it began the transformation to its Ethiopian Airlines paint scheme.

Chris Harano, president and CEO of LEAS, said the 777 program is a big step forward in the company's relationship with Boeing.

"The Boeing South Carolina 787 program at our Fort Worth facility has been very successful since it first began in 2012," Harano said in a news release. "We're thrilled to be part of a second offload program of this magnitude and excited to build a successful partnership with Boeing Everett through the 777 program in Victorville."

Doug Robertson, Victorville's city manager, said the added industrial jobs benefit the entire High Desert, as new employees will live and shop in the area.

In August, the Victorville City Council approved an agreement between SCLA and Boeing, which will allow the aircraft manufacturer to centralize its growing operations at SCLA.

The agreement also included Boeing's "Aircraft on Ground" services, which Keith Metzler, assistant executive director of the airport authority, said had been "largely responsible for a lot of the aircraft services related to the delivery of aircraft," in an August interview.

In 2013, LEAS began design and logo work on a new Boeing 777, as the American Airlines-US Airways merger called for a total face-lift of its aircraft.

The $11 billion merger process will result in American Airlines becoming the largest passenger air carrier in the world.

American unveiled its new design at Dallas/ Fort Worth International Airport in January 2013 after Leading Edge completed the paint and design project on the American Airlines-owned Boeing 737-800 and two Boeing 777s.

Leading Edge Aviation Services Inc. is headquartered in Costa Mesa with operations in eight facilities nationwide.

Since 2007, Leading Edge has served the airline industry by servicing more than 200 various aircraft per year from its 235,000-square-foot facility at SCLA.

Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or at [email protected].

Copyright 2014 - Daily Press, Victorville, Calif.