ExecuJet MRO Services has invested in additional equipment and further training on Dassault aircraft types, to strengthen its position as a ‘centre of excellence’ for Dassault Aviation.
“We have further consolidated our position as a factory-owned Dassault Aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) organisation by investing in more tooling and training,” said Grant Ingall, vice president, ExecuJet MRO Services Australia.
ExecuJet maintenance technicians and engineers are continuing to be sent from Australia to Dassault Aviation in France and the USA for advanced technical training on Dassault aircraft types.
The company has also invested in new tooling from Dassault. “The new training and tooling includes horizontal stabiliser rear hinge bushing measurement training, which relies on the precision use of a Subito bore gauge to check wear tolerances to a very high degree of accuracy,” said Ingall. “We have also upgraded our non-destructive testing (NDT) capabilities so we can perform the ultrasonic inspection of the horizontal stabiliser, a task we previously had to bring in specialists from Dassault to perform.”
The Dassault aircraft types that ExecuJet can perform these inspections on include all models of the Falcon 50, Falcon 900, Falcon 2000 and Falcon 7X/8X.
“Investing in the specific tooling and training to perform these complex tasks in-country positions ExecuJet and Australia as a ‘centre of excellence’ for maintenance of Dassault aircraft,” said Ingall.
Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), since February 2020, has approved ExecuJet MRO Services Australia to do line and heavy maintenance on all in-production types: Falcon 7X/8X, Falcon 900LX and Falcon 2000LXS aircraft. ExecuJet is also approved by CASA to service some of the out-of-production models, namely the Falcon 50/50EX, Falcon 900/C/DX/EX/EX EASy and Falcon 2000/EX/LX.
Ingall said ExecuJet recently completed heavy maintenance C-checks on two Falcon 900EX aircraft. One is an Australia-registered aircraft used by a mining company and the other is a VIP aircraft operated by Papua New Guinea’s national carrier, Air Niugini. The VIP aircraft is under FalconCare, a comprehensive Dassault Aviation maintenance cost programme designed to help customers manage their maintenance budgets. Only factory-owned or Dassault-authorised MRO service centres are permitted to work on aircraft under the FalconCare programme.
“Air Niugini’s decision to send the aircraft to our Sydney maintenance base centre demonstrates the confidence the flag carrier has in our ability,” said Ingall.
ExecuJet MRO Services Australia is about to start heavy maintenance checks on two Falcon 2000 aircraft, he added.
Besides line and heavy maintenance, ExecuJet has also been providing services for customers looking to purchase an aircraft. “We perform pre-purchase inspections (PPIs) and detailed checks of maintenance records for the aircraft that our customers are intending to buy to help them get an accurate assessment and make the right calls,” said Ingall.
He said ExecuJet has been busy recently performing aircraft inspections and maintenance record assessments for buyers of pre-owned business jets.
“The business jet market in Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere is experiencing very strong demand for new and pre-owned aircraft,” he said. “Pre-owned aircraft are being snapped up quickly, with many new buyers entering to the market, drawn by the convenience and flexibility that business aviation provides.”
“In my 30-plus years in business aviation, I have never seen the market for pre-owned business jets so strong. It is quite amazing,” he said.
