Basel / Switzerland, February 21, 2012 –Jet Aviation Basel has recently installed a Tail and Wing Dock certified for BBJ and Airbus 320 series aircraft in its wide-body hangar. This new dock platform will help to reduce aircraft downtime during 12-year inspections by up to 6 weeks.
Intended to facilitate the 12-year BBJ inspection, Jet Aviation Basel has added a tail and wing-docking platform to its wide-body hangar, enabling complete access to all areas of the tail on all four levels, as well as full structural inspection of the wings. The new custom-built dock station is certified for the Boeing 737 and Airbus 320 series per EU standards and is fitted with air and electricity.
“The tail and wing dock enables easier access to the aircraft, minimizing downtime while aiding us in meeting the highest safety and quality standards,” says Johannes Turzer, vice president and accountable manager of maintenance services at Jet Aviation Basel. “We recently completed a 12-year BBJ inspection, together with repairs and a modification, performing over 8,400 man-hours in just 7 weeks of aircraft downtime.”
The wing dock is equipped with two fuel-fume evacuation hoses on each side, which can be stored in a floor-trap panel when not in use. It also has special explosion-proof floor lights and two steps on the outer portion of the wing dock to help maintenance personnel access the top of the wings. The 4-level tail dock is equipped with hoist equipment, enabling removal of the rudder as well as the stabilizer assemblies or just the elevators. An additional platform permits maintenance on the auxiliary power unit (APU).
Christof Spaeth, senior vice president of maintenance and FBO services in EMEA & Asia, adds, “Customers appreciate our ‘tip-to-tail’ 12-year BBJ inspection service, which offers exceptional value to our entire global network of MRO & FBO customers. Our investment in a wing and tail dock demonstrates our commitment to providing the most benefit to our customers.”
Jet Aviation Basel is the designated service center in EMEA for ensuring Special Federal Regulation 88 (“SFAR 88”) compliance for the Boeing 737 fleet and has strictly dedicated hangar space for BBJ maintenance checks. The facility’s 12-year BBJ inspection service provides the most competitive personalized 12-year service inspection available to BBJ owners and operators, including all mandatory inspections per the Boeing Maintenance Planning Data (MPD) guide, as well as the highly recommended Engine Boroscope inspection, service bulletins, service letters and airworthiness directives.
Jet Aviation Basel is a world-renowned completions and maintenance center employing more than 1,600 professionals. The facility has in-house design and engineering departments, along with on-site cabinetry, upholstery, fiberglass and paint shops. The organization is capable of outfitting jets as large as an Airbus A380 or the Boeing 747-8 series and has already completed numerous Airbus 319ACJ, A320, A330, A340 and Boeing B737, B757, B767 and B747-400 aircraft. Jet Aviation Basel also provides aircraft maintenance and repair services to a wide variety of business jets. It is a factory approved service center by Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Dassault and Gulfstream. The location also holds a jet aircraft repair station rating by the FAA #QV1Y440K, and the EASA #CH.145.0232 in addition to approval certificates of 21 other national aviation authorities.
Jet Aviation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), was founded in Switzerland in 1967 and is one of the leading business aviation services companies in the world. Close to 5,000 employees cater to client needs from 25 airport facilities throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North and South America. The company provides maintenance, completions and refurbishment, engineering, fixed base operations, along with aircraft management, charter services, aircraft sales and personnel services. Jet Aviation's European and U.S. aircraft management and charter divisions jointly operate a fleet of more than 200 aircraft. Please visit www.jetaviation.com and follow us on twitter: http://twitter.com/jetaviation
More information about General Dynamics is available online at www.generaldynamics.com
