Airport JournalsAugust 2004 31-B

By W. StephenDennis

Founded inSwitzerland in1967, JetAviation is one ofthe leading busi-ness aviationservice compa-nies today. More

than 3,500 employees in over 60facilities and stations worldwide caterto customers in North and SouthAmerica, Europe, the Middle and FarEast. The company provides mainte-nance, avionics, completions andengineering services, fixed base oper-ations, along with aircraft sales, char-ter, management and aviation staffingon a global basis.

A pilot since 1941 who trained inthe United States, the company’sfounder, the late Carl W. Hirschmann,first became interested in starting achain of aviation service organizationsin the early 1960s, because there wasan eminent need for high-qualityfacilities offering consistent serviceand high-precision work in mainte-nance.

In 1967, Hirschmann initiated hisvision and bought the former GlobeAir hangars in Basel, Switzerland, toestablish the newly formed JetAviation as the first full maintenance

facility for business aircraft inEurope. Only two years later, thePilatus maintenance and charter air-line handling operations in Zurich andGeneva, Switzerland, were acquired,further expanding Jet Aviation’s geo-graphic reach and product offerings.

In the 1970s, the company expandedits services by providing aircraft man-agement and charter services toEuropean and Middle Eastern cus-tomers. The first maintenance baseoutside of Switzerland was estab-lished in 1975, in Dusseldorf,

Germany; in 1979, a part-nership was formed with agroup of Saudi business-men in the Kingdom ofSaudi Arabia to operate ahandling facility for cor-porate and private aircraftin Jeddah.

In addition, the 1970ssaw Jet Aviation becom-ing a major player in theoutfitting and refurbish-ment market; in 1977, thecompany added comple-tions to the Basel opera-tion as a new line of busi-ness. Since that time, theBasel facility has grown tobecome the largest inde-pendent completion centerin the world.The 1980s brought further

expansion to the company in Europeand the Middle East, but more impor-tantly, Jet Aviation successfullyentered the U.S. market to become thefirst global player in the business avi-ation industry. In the mid-eighties, thecompany bought existing fixed baseoperations in Bedford, Mass. (justoutside of Boston), and Palm Beach,Fla. In 1988, another FBO inTeterboro, N.J., was added to JetAviation’s growing chain of opera-tions in the U.S. to serve the strategi-cally important New York City corpo-

rate marketplace. The consolidation and steady

growth in Europe, the Middle Eastand the U.S. marked the 1990s.Capital was expended to enhance thequality and services in Basel,Switzerland and the existing U.S.facilities in Palm Beach, Bedford andTeterboro, while fewer new operationswere added to Jet Aviation’s chain.Additions included two maintenancefacilities in Hannover and Cologne,Germany, and a full-service FBOoperation at Love Field in Dallas,Texas, in 1999.

The nineties were notable for twomajor milestones in Jet Aviation’s his-tory. In 1994, the company expandedits airline handling services in Zurichand Geneva, Switzerland, to provideservices to scheduled airlines andIATA carriers. In 1995, Jet Aviationentered the Asian market by openinga facility in Singapore to offer aircraftmaintenance and FBO services. Thesame year, Carl W. Hirschmann died,at age 74.

The new millennium started with JetAviation achieving its best financialresults in the company’s history, withrevenues reported at CHF 841 million(USD 500 million) for the year 2000.It also brought further expansion tothe company in Europe, the Middle

Business in PerspectiveJet Aviation, Around the World and Into the Future

Bus. In Perspective cont. on pg. 32-B

The inside lobby of Jet Aviation’s Teterboro location,headquarters of Jet Aviation U.S. operations.

Airport Journals August 200432-B

Central Coast Jet Center1211 Citation Court - Santa Maria, CA 93455

805-937-9300 Fax 805-934-2674www.centralcoastjetcenter.com csr@ccjc.us

Hours of operation: 0700-2100 with call out service available

- Avfuel Provider - Avfuel Avnet Premier FBO - Avfuel Contract fuel

- CAA Preferred FBO - Accepts all major credit cards

- Closest FBO to Hawaii - Centrally located in the Santa Maria

and Santa Ynez wine country - No ATC delays - Featuring a first class

executive jet terminal - Limo Service - Wireless Internet Access

- All Major Car Rentals on site - Radisson Hotel on site - Two restaurants on site -

WSI pilot brief - Airline service - Reinforced ramp capable of holding BBJ

- Gym & Golf - Hangar available

- GPU - Pilots lounge with satellite TV

- Snooze room - Shower - Conference room

and the Far East and the U.S. In 2001,Jet Aviation purchased a facility atLondon Biggin Hill, United Kingdom,to offer maintenance, refurbishmentand FBO services to cater to thestrategically important London mar-ket.

The same year, an aircraft manage-ment and charter office was opened inHong Kong, China, followed by theestablishment of Jet AviationEngineering Services near SanAntonio, Texas, to provide services tothe company’s completions facilitiesas well as third-party modificationcenters. Finally, in 2002, the companyestablished another partnership in theMiddle East with a local entrepreneurand expects to open a FBO facility inDubai in 2004.

Jet Aviation’s U.S. and Europeanaircraft management and charter divi-sions jointly operate a fleet of morethan 150 aircraft. In 2003, JetAviation provided close to 60,000hours in global flight operations.Sixty percent of the business activityis in Europe; the remainder is distrib-uted among the U.S. and other facili-ties across the globe.

Jet Aviation is divided into regionaloperations centers. CEO of the JetAviation Group of companies is HeinzKöhli. He’s also responsible for JetAviation’s European, Middle and FarEastern operations, while Theo Staubis in charge of Jet Aviation’s U.S.operations.

Subsidiaries

Today, in Europe, the group has

operations in Basel, Cologne,Dusseldorf, Geneva, Hannover,Kassel, London Biggin Hill,Saarbrucken and Zurich. Jet Aviationfacilities in the Middle and Far Eastare located in Jeddah, Riyadh andSingapore.

Jet Aviation Basel, with over 800employees, represents the largest JetAviation operation in terms of person-nel. It’s also the second largestemployer at Basel’s Euro Airport.Facilities include six large hangarswith a total of 160,700 square feet ofhangar area, and services includemaintenance and major completionand outfitting for aircraft as large asBoeing and Airbus airliners.

Three additional airport facilities inZurich provide FBO, maintenance,airline handling, aircraft managementand charter services. Close to 700

employees staff the three Zurich loca-tions.

Jet Aviation also offers a variety ofservices at several other support facil-ities around the world.

Jet Professionals

Jet Professionals is another divisionthat operates under Jet Aviation. Forover 20 years, Jet Professionals hasbeen the industry’s leading providerof highly qualified corporate aviationmanagers, chief pilots, flight atten-dants, maintenance technicians, anddispatchers and schedulers, on both afull-time and temporary basis. JetProfessionals also provides a host ofback-office services, such as insur-ance compliance, payroll and benefitsadministration.

“We take pride in our placementefficiency and in our long-term rela-tionships with clients and aviationpersonnel,” said Staub. “As well asbeing a professional staffing service,which aviation employers can turn tofor reliable and exceptional employ-ees, we’re a great resource for avia-tion professionals looking for a pro-fessional staffing placement.”

Staub, an avid aviation enthusiastsince the age of 17, started with JetAviation 13 years ago as a generalmanager of charter and maintenancein Zurich. He held that position forseven years, until March 2003, whenhe was promoted to president andCOO of Jet Aviation’s U.S. opera-tions.

Having experienced the FBO busi-ness at both the national and interna-tional level, Staub believes the busi-

ness aviation culture of America to beslightly more competitive.

“The U.S. has a highly competitivebusiness aviation marketplace,” saidStaub. “Europe is competitive but themarket is more open.”

As president and COO of all sevenU.S. locations, or “strategic businessunits,” Staub oversees the seven gen-eral managers of each location. Inaddition to overseeing U.S. opera-tions, he’s also a member of theNBAA’s advisory board.

Teterboro

Staub calls Teterboro his workhome. Jet Aviation’s Teterboro loca-tion, whose clientele consists mainlyof Fortune 500 companies, recentlyreceived the “FAA Diamond Award2003” for the sixth consecutive year.

Also based in Teterboro is StephenWilson, senior vice president and gen-eral manager of Jet Aviation U.S.Charter Services. Wilson has a broadbusiness background that includes 14years experience in the aviation indus-try. He oversees the charter offices inChicago, Dallas, Van Nuys and WestPalm Beach as well.

Jet Aviation’s Teterboro FBO loca-tion has grown to be the highest vol-ume business aviation facility in theworld, in terms of gallons of fuel soldannually. Since the acquisition ofTeterboro-based Executive Air Fleet,Jet Aviation is the largest aircraftmanagement and charter company inthe world.

Jet Aviation TEB has a staff of over

Bus. In Perspective cont. from pg. 31-B

Bus. In Perspective cont. on pg. 35-B

Theo Staub, president and COO of Jet Aviation U.S. operations.

Airport JournalsAugust 2004 35-B

877-359-4723PCForecasting.com

Pacific Coast Forecasting

Pacific Coast Forecasting

400 and provides FBO, maintenance,aircraft management and charterservices. The facility includes sevenhangars with a total area of 200,000square feet, making this the largestJet Aviation facility worldwide.

Dallas

Jet Aviation Dallas recently refur-bished their FBO building facilityand expanded their transient ramp.The ramp expansion extended thesize of the existing ramp space toaccommodate bigger aircraft as wellas a larger number of small and mid-sized jets currently serviced at thisfacility. The extended ramp added55,000 square feet, for a total of185,000 square feet of ramp space.

By extending the length and width,

the company is now be able toaccommodate Dassault Falcon 900and 2000, Gulfstream V, Challenger604 and Global Express aircraft andoffer a second entry and exit point tothe taxiways.

Palm Beach

Jet Aviation’s facility in PalmBeach consists of 1.2 million squarefeet of hangar, office, workshop andramp space. The FBO in Palm Beachprovides aircraft maintenance andavionics services and is a DassaultFalcon Jet and an Embraer LegacyService Center. The location hasexpertise in Gulfstream, Falcon,Challenger and Hawker aircraft andis an FAA approved repair station (#EYKR782D) that holds JAA/JAR145, Brazilian CHE # 0206-03/DACand Bermuda DCA approvals.

The location hasan in-house paintfacility and a state-of-the-art comple-tion department,offering upholstery,re-foaming, carpet-ing, woodworking,sheet-metal repairsand gold-metalplating services.

In a recent Falcon20 refurbishmentdone on the premis-es, the FloridaEverglades was thetheme of the air-craft makeover.

Designer David Bell

and a team of Jet Aviation interiorartisans transformed the aircraft’scabin on behalf of a repeat customerinto an exotic, ecological work of art.

Bedford

Jet Aviation’s Bedford facility,located just outside of Boston, is anFAA Certified Repair Station(#JAVR120F). The facility is anauthorized service center forRaytheon Aircraft and MDHelicopters and offers extensive air-frame and engine maintenance withavionics capabilities for business air-craft of all sizes.

The location holds class three air-frame ratings, class one and twoavionics ratings and a limited air-frame rating for large category air-craft. Jet Aviation Bedford also offersfull FBO services and has over320,000 square feet of hangar, office,and workshop and ramp space.

The location recently received the“FAA Diamond Award 2003,” theonly Diamond Award issued to anFAA Repair Station under the juris-diction of FAA’s North East FlightStandard’s District Office in 2003,and the highest level achievable forthe program. The primary objectiveof this prestigious award, createdunder the FAA’s Knowledge +Professionalism = Safety Program,was to recognize excellence in boththe aircraft maintenance technicianand the repair station itself. In addi-tion, nearly 70 percent of the mainte-nance staff received individualawards ranging from the Bronze

Award to the Ruby Award.

Dubai

Jet Aviation is the first privateexecutive aviation company in Dubaiwith a global network. In conjunctionwith Dubai-based Al Mulla BusinessGroup, Jet Aviation recently beganconstruction on a new facility locatedat Dubai International Airport. Thenew facility, the third for Jet Aviationin the region, is expected to be opera-tional by January 2005.

Aviation specialists from JetAviation’s headquarters work along-side Dubai-based architects, engi-neers and planners from RobertMatthew Johnson-Marshall and gen-eral contractors Higgs & Hill LLCthroughout the construction project,slated for completion within the nexteight months.

Jet Aviation Dubai will offer sched-uled and unscheduled maintenance,aircraft repair, aircraft modificationsas well as avionics installations andretrofits for a large variety of busi-ness aircraft. It will offer a 4,200-square-meter hangar large enough toaccommodate two BBJs or AirbusCorporate Jets simultaneously. Inaddition, the facility has 1,000 squaremeters of workshop space. The main-tenance division is currently in theprocess of applying for AuthorizedService Center status on various air-craft types that are mostly utilized forinternational travel.

Jet Aviation’s new private aircraft

Bus. In Perspective cont. from pg. 32-B

Bus. In Perspective cont. on pg. 36-B

Jet Aviation’s Teterboro FBO location has grown to be the highest volume business aviation facility in the world, in

terms of gallons of fuel sold annually.

Airport Journals August 200436-B

moto artpu aD

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hangar and workshop building willbe the first buildings at DubaiInternational Airport to be equippedwith the latest fire detection and firefighting systems implemented in fullcompliance with the National FireProtection Association (NFPA) regu-lations.

The new 1,050-square-meter FBObuilding will house a reception areawith a refreshment center, VIP cus-tomer lounge, state-of-the-art confer-ence room, prayer room and privateoffices. In-house immigration andcustoms clearance, security checks,baggage screening and metal detectorcapability will allow for smooth,secure passenger and baggage han-dling.

Singapore

Jet Aviation Singapore was estab-lished in 1995, and has 50,816square feet of hangar, office, work-shop and ramp space. The facilityoffers full-service FBO amenities,aircraft maintenance, aircraft-on-ground services, avionics modifica-tions, interior refurbishment and exte-rior painting services. In addition, thefacility offers aircraft charter andmanagement services.

Jet Aviation Singapore is aGulfstream Authorized ServiceCenter and Warranty Repair Facility,an authorized Cessna CitationService Station, and an authorizedservice facility for Bombardier

Challenger and Learjet aircraft. Thelocation is an FAA repair station forBombardier Global Express aircraftand holds maintenance approvalsfrom 13 countries around the world.It also offers aircraft charter andmanagement services.

In 2004, Air Routing Internationalentered into a long-term agreementwith Jet Aviation’sSingapore as their pre-ferred handling agentfor private and busi-ness aircraft at theSeletar Airport. AirRouting Internationalserves roughly 80 air-lines and 2,500 corpo-rate aircraft globally.

Jet AviationSingapore ranked num-ber one for BestMiddle Eastern andAsian FBO in ProPilot’s 2004 PRASEsurvey for line serv-ice, customer service,facilities, quick-turn(tech stop) perform-ance and value forcost.

Jet Aviation Singapore recentlyreceived approval from the CivilAviation Authority of China to per-form maintenance and repairs onGulfstream aircraft registered inChina. As a result of the CAACmaintenance approval, Jet Aviationwas awarded a maintenance contractwith Air China to perform scheduledand unscheduled maintenance ontheir GIV aircraft. The GIV will

undergo a 150-hour and six, nine and12 month-inspections. The companywill offer maintenance services toadditional aircraft types for AirChina in the future as well.

London

Jet Aviation’s London Biggin Hilllocation was recently named one of

the best start-up companies in theSouth London area by the BromleyBorough Chamber of Commerce.The award recognized Jet Aviation’soutstanding contribution towardshelping the area become one of themost successful business communi-ties in the United Kingdom.

Since opening in 2001, the compa-ny has not only generated consider-able business in the South Londonarea, but has also created additional

jobs. During the last four months, JetAviation London Biggin Hill report-ed a 20 percent increase of its FBOhandling activities.

The facility can handle all types ofaircraft, including Global Express,Falcon, Gulfstream, Hawker, CessnaCitation and Learjet aircraft.

Into the Future

A look into Jet Aviation’s futurereveals a paved path to success. WithFBO locations worldwide, the com-pany is ahead of its time.

“Since September 2001, we wereexperiencing a drop in businessalong with the stock market,” Staubsaid. “But the first half of this yearhas been marked with a definiteupturn. Executive aviation seems tobe on the rise, and if the second halfof 2004 is as productive as the firsthalf, we’ll be very excited.”

For more information, visitwww.jetaviation.com. W. Stephen

Dennis is the founder, CEO and pres-ident of Aviation Resource GroupInternational, a leader in aviation

advisory services since 1975. He hasmore than 25 years of varied avia-

tion industry and executive and sen-ior management experience coveringspecialized areas such as operationalefficiency, profitability conversions,

business development, strategic plan-ning, marketing and corporate

restructuring. He can be contacted atSteve@AirportJournals.com.

Bus. In Perspective cont. from pg. 35-B

Teterboro’s newly renovated pilot’s lounge. Jet Aviation’s locations worldwide are known for their elegant furnishings

and European attention to detail.