Gulfstream has expanded its headquarters in Savannah, Georgia, USA, with the addition of a new 202,000ft² (18,766m²) facility that will offer MRO services. The OEM says the move was made to support fleet growth.
The building is located on the east side of Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, and was built with an investment of more than US$55m. It gives Gulfstream more than 1,000,000ft² (92,903m²) of dedicated MRO hangar, office and backshop space in Savannah. The expansion, announced in April 2018, is expected to result in the addition of approximately 200 Customer Support-related jobs over several years, some of which will be filled by graduates of Savannah Technical College’s Aviation Technology division.
“This is a great day for our customers as well as Savannah, Chatham County and Gulfstream,” said Mark Burns, president of Gulfstream. “We are very excited about this expansion, which follows the recent entry into service of our two all-new aircraft, the Gulfstream G500 and Gulfstream G600. To help ensure those aircraft and the rest of our growing fleet continue to have the best service and support in the industry, we built and staffed this fabulous facility. We are grateful to many for their critical support in this project, including our parent company, General Dynamics; Savannah Technical College; the Georgia Department of Economic Development; the Savannah Economic Development Authority; the Savannah Airport Commission; and the city of Savannah.”
Gulfstream expanded its service centre in Appleton, Wisconsin, in August 2019, and plans to open another in late 2019 or early 2020 in Van Nuys, California. Overall, the company will open three service centre expansions and two new service centres in 2019 and 2020, adding approximately 790,000ft² (73,393m²) of dedicated MRO hangars, offices and backshops in the USA and Europe. Gulfstream has a worldwide in-service fleet of approximately 2,800 aircraft.
“Our customers choose to return to Gulfstream facilities for their service and support because they value the relationship and expertise only we can provide,” said Burns. “By growing the number of maintenance facilities and combining them with our fleet of rapid-response vehicles and Gulfstream Field and Airborne Support Teams technicians, we’re offering our customers more service and support options, more accessibility and more flexibility.”
Like the existing Savannah service centre, Gulfstream’s new East Campus offers services including AOG resources, hourly and calendar-driven airframe inspections, avionics installations and interior refurbishments.
Gulfstream’s Savannah MRO operations are certified by the FAA, EASA, Civil Aviation Administration of China and more than 20 other civil aviation authorities worldwide. In 2018, Savannah serviced more than 1,500 aircraft visits.
The Gulfstream East Campus is expected to receive US Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification because of its sustainable features, which include energy efficient lighting, enhanced control systems for heating and cooling, optimised energy performance, recycling of at least 75% of construction waste, low-emitting building materials, water-saving fixtures and preferred parking for low-emission vehicles.
