Singapore, 10 February 2014 – ST Aerospace, the world’s leading maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) company, has attained major milestones in its VIP completion and refurbishment business two years after it launched AERIA Luxury Interiors (AERIA),
offering luxurious aerial interiors to the VIP aircraft segment.
ST Aerospace has been appointed an Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ) service centre. It is now able to offer a wide range of maintenance services for all ACJ aircraft through its network of facilities and affiliates spanning the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe.
At the same time, its VIP completion division AERIA became an approved Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) completion centre. With this appointment, AERIA is well placed to offer a complete suite of life cycle services for VIP aircraft operators through
ST Aerospace’s global network, ranging from interior design and completion, to maintenance and product development and integration.
ST Aerospace’s global network has completed over 40 projects for VIP interior refurbishments, heavy maintenance and avionics and in-flight entertainment system upgrades since 2002.
On top of the two authorisations from the world’s leading aircraft OEMs, AERIA secured its first green aircraft completion contract from an undisclosed European-based VIP 737 BBJ customer. It was commissioned by the same customer in November 2013 to deliver an interior design solution for a business jet.
“We are delighted to become an approved member of the prestigious ACJ service centre and BBJ completion centre networks. We are also very honoured by the customer’s vote of confidence in us, entrusting their green BBJ to AERIA for VIP completion. These
milestones are the result of the team’s dedication and hard work. With strong in-house design and outfitting expertise, we are confident of delivering a highly individualised cabin experience for our customer. Given ST Aerospace’s expertise as an integrated service provider, we are able to offer our VIP customers a comprehensive range of aviation services covering the entire life cycle of their aircraft.”
Ron SORET, Vice President/General Manager of Completions, AERIA Luxury Interiors
Elegantly designed by AERIA’s own VIP interior design team, the green 737 BBJ will be outfitted with the finest materials and furnishing. Cabin interior highlights include a dedicated forward crew lounge, an efficiently equipped galley for fresh meal preparation, a dining suite, a conference room, a large resting lounge and a comfortable master suite. A state-of-the-art digital entertainment system with multiple hi-definition screens will be installed for an indulgent theatre experience on board, along with Inmarsat and Iridium satellite communications systems and WiFi for use with the high-speed data system. A humidification and zonal drying system will also be included to enhance passenger comfort during the long range flights this aircraft will be capable of. The aircraft will arrive at AERIA’s purpose-built hangar for cabin completion in December 2014, targeted for redelivery by October 2015.
As part of the VIP completion programme, AERIA will be developing a Supplemental Type Certificate with approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency. It will leverage affiliate company DRB Aviation Consultants’ Organisation Designation Authorisation licence, which allows the company to approve modifications to the aircraft more efficiently.
A division of US affiliate STA Antonio, AERIA is located in San Antonio, US due to its access to the highly trained engineering talent pool in the region. San Antonio is well regarded as the birthplace of large aircraft VIP completions, with roots from the 1980s. In addition to the human resources, a cluster of supporting businesses is located in the region, which bolsters AERIA’s efforts to deliver world-class quality in aircraft interiors. Marketed as part of ST Aerospace’s MRO network, STA San Antonio is a subsidiary of Vision Technologies Aerospace Incorporated (VT Aerospace). VT Aerospace, which owns five aerospace operating companies in Mobile, Alabama; San Antonio, Texas; Burlington, Washington and Wethersfield, Connecticut, is a subsidiary of Vision
Technologies Systems, Inc. (VT Systems), the US headquarters of ST Engineering.
