SAVANNAH, Ga., April 15, 2013 — Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. has seen steady growth for Gulfstream Beijing, the service center it opened this past November.
“We’re seeing more customers every week,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream Product Support. “Our technical staff has serviced more than 40 aircraft since we began operations. We’re not just working on aircraft at the facility; we’re sending technicians on road trips to assist operators.”
Gulfstream is the first business jet manufacturer to offer factory service in China. The company made the investment because its fleet has grown to more than 105 aircraft in China and Hong Kong, and to fulfill its commitment to provide first-rate customer service.
“The feedback from our customers in Asia has been very positive,” Burns said. “They appreciate us being here and the high standard of work we perform. It’s a win-win situation. We at Gulfstream understand their needs better by being near their base of operation. Our centralized support leads to lower maintenance costs for them and increased availability of their aircraft.”
Gulfstream Beijing is a joint venture between Gulfstream and two subsidiaries of Hainan Airlines Group, Hainan Aviation Technik (HNAT) and Beijing Capital Airlines Co. Ltd. (Deer Jet). Deer Jet operates a charter aircraft fleet that includes more than 40 Gulfstream aircraft. HNAT offers aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul services.
Gulfstream Beijing, located at Beijing Capital International Airport, consists of an 82,000-square-foot (7,618-sq-m) hangar and 22,000 (2,044 sq m) square feet of offices and back shops. The facility is a certified Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) Part 145 repair station, which means its staff of Gulfstream, Deer Jet and HNAT technicians can perform maintenance and upgrades on airframes, avionics, powerplants and interiors on Chinese-registered Gulfstream aircraft. Currently, the service center is authorized to work on the G550, G450 and G200. CAAC facility certification for the company’s new aircraft, the ultra-long-range, ultra-large-cabin G650, the new flagship, and the super mid-sized G280, is expected in the coming months along with authorizations for the GV and GIV.
The Gulfstream technicians are certified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and can support Gulfstream operators of any model in aircraft-on-ground situations in greater China, Japan and South Korea.
Gulfstream Beijing personnel have access to more than $56 million in parts and materials strategically positioned at warehouses in Beijing, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Gulfstream has had personnel in Beijing since January 2010. The first company employee positioned there was Jenson Saw, a field service representative (FSR). Approximately four months later, Gulfstream added a maintenance team to help support the Deer Jet fleet. Saw is one of six Gulfstream FSRs in the Asia-Pacific region. There are also two stationed in Hong Kong and Singapore, and one in India.
Other Product Support resources for Gulfstream in the region include a Hong Kong-based group comprised of Paul Lu, director, Customer Support Asia; James Liang, regional manager, Product Support Sales; and Ka Ming Lau, materials specialist. Hong Kong is also home to a Flight Operations team that provides entry-into-service flight support for customers.
Along with Gulfstream Beijing, there are seven other facilities in the Asia-Pacific region that Gulfstream operators can utilize for maintenance. They are factory-authorized service centers Jet Aviation and Metrojet in Hong Kong and Jet Aviation in Singapore, and authorized warranty centers Jamco Corp. in Sendai, Japan, ExecuJet Australia in Sydney and Melbourne, and Air Works in Mumbai.
Gulfstream’s in-service fleet in the Asia-Pacific region, which includes Australia, India and Singapore, has grown from 27 aircraft in 2001 to more than 200 today.
