Jet Aviation holds groundbreaking ceremony for new wide-body hangar in Basel

Jet Aviation hosted an official groundbreaking for its new wide-body hangar project in Basel earlier this afternoon. The event also acknowledged the support of all the many contributors to the project. Jet Aviation’s new 8,700 square-meter, state-of-the-art hangar is scheduled to go operational at the end of 2018.

After two years of planning, negotiations and preparation, Jet Aviation was pleased to invite the EuroAirport management, government representatives from the region, local suppliers, authorities and the media to the official groundbreaking ceremony of its new wide-body hangar in Basel.

“We have a long history of handling major modifications and completions at Jet Aviation, and we are fully committed to investing in the latest technologies that support the highest quality and safety standards for our customers worldwide,” said Jet Aviation Group President, Rob Smith. “This investment also reinforces our commitment to Basel – our home base. We will create new jobs for the local community and help to further strengthen Basel as a hub for European aviation.”

Suitable for wide-body projects up to Boeing 747, the new hangar is being built to meet increased demand for wide-body completions and refurbishments. The hangar will provide an additional 4,550 square meters of hangar space to accommodate a number of wide- and narrow-body aircraft simultaneously. The project also extends the tarmac by 5,000 square meters while adding 2,000 square meters for shops and offices. To maintain capacity and capabilities throughout the hangar project, the company has leased additional hangar and shop space. It has also built a pathway to ensure employees have proper access to all of the hangars.

“Integrating a large complex project such as this into an existing operation could not have been done without exceptional teamwork,” said Sylvain Von Hof, Director Real Estate, Facility Management & Security, EMEA and Asia. “On behalf of Jet Aviation, I’d like to thank you – all our partners – for your muchappreciated efforts and support in helping us develop this hangar. We simply would not be celebrating this groundbreaking if it weren’t for your hard work and cooperation.”

Despite the large-scale changes, disruption to both customers and employees is expected to be minimal throughout the hangar’s construction. Jet Aviation has leased additional hangar and shop space to maintain capacity and capabilities throughout the process. The extended tarmac will enable larger aircraft to easily approach the new hangar. 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, sheet metal, composite 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 ACJ319, ACJ320, ACJ330, ACJ340 and Boeing B737, B757, B767 and B747 aircraft.

Jet Aviation Basel also provides aircraft maintenance and repair services for a wide variety of business jets. It is a factory approved service center by Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Dassault, Embraer 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 28 other national aviation authorities.

Jet Aviation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), was founded in Basel, Switzerland in 1967 and is one of the leading business aviation services companies in the world. Close to 4,500 employees cater to client needs from some 30 airport facilities throughout Europe, the Middle East, Asia, North America and the Caribbean. The company provides maintenance, completions and refurbishment, engineering, FBO and fuel services, along with aircraft management, charter and staffing services. Jet Aviation's European and U.S. aircraft management and charter divisions jointly operate a fleet of close to 300 aircraft.