Textron Aviation continues investment in European factory-direct service model

 Textron Aviation Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, today announced during the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) that it is investing in a factory-direct service model to make the expertise of the company more accessible and convenient for operators across Europe.

“The level of factory-direct support solutions we now offer is unmatched in the industry, and we’re continuing to invest while listening to what our European operators need and want,” said Brad Thress, senior vice president, Customer Service. “Factory-direct service gives owners and operators peace of mind while maintaining the pedigree and the resale value of their aircraft.”

Textron Aviation provides a suite of complete maintenance and support solutions to a European fleet of more than 1,600 Citation, King Air and Hawker aircraft. With a team of more than 400 employees comprised of engineers, service technicians, field service representatives and sales representatives based in Europe, customers in the region have local access to factory-direct expertise in a number of ways.

Company-owned service centers and line maintenance stations

Textron Aviation opened its newest European line maintenance station in Bremen, Germany, in April. With this addition, the company operates five line maintenance facilities across Europe, including in Luton, United Kingdom; Stuttgart, Germany; Cannes, France, and Geneva, Switzerland.

In addition to its line maintenance stations, Textron Aviation’s company-owned service centers in Europe have been integrated to serve customers across the Citation, King Air and Hawker platforms. The company operates six service centers throughout the European region in Doncaster, United Kingdom; Düsseldorf, Germany; Paris, France; Prague, Czech Republic; Valencia, Spain; and Zürich, Switzerland. The service centers are staffed with expert service engineers offering maintenance, inspections, parts, repairs, avionic upgrades, equipment installations, refurbishments and other specialized services.

Dedicated response for European operators

Citation, King Air and Hawker customers needing immediate support in Europe can contact a dedicated 1Call team 24/7 by dialing +1-316-517-2090. Rolled out earlier this year, 1Call provides a single point of contact during unscheduled maintenance events and offers prioritized technical support, expedited parts ordering, alternative lift solutions or mobile service unit scheduling.

In 2015, the company added a Cessna Citation CJ3 dedicated to supporting customers throughout Europe. Based at the Düsseldorf Service Center, the aircraft has a two-hour reach to most customers, and it is available seven days a week, including most holidays. The jet provides fast and reliable service and support for Textron Aviation customers during maintenance events by transporting technicians and parts to the customer’s location.

Centralized parts distribution

Textron Aviation recently introduced online parts ordering for owners and operators and also invested in increasing inventory levels at its European parts distribution center in Düsseldorf. The facility houses more than 225,000 parts for all aircraft models, and the inventory is cleared through customs into the European Union, resulting in faster delivery and fewer fees for customers.

Regional regulations support

Textron Aviation can also help European Citation, King Air and Hawker operators with operational challenges related to European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulations.

The company offers a cost-competitive solution to guide operators through the compliance process related to the Part-NCC EASA rule change that goes into effect Aug. 25, 2016. Part-NCC requires any non-commercial operator registered within the 32 EASA member states or operating in an EASA state to adapt a safety framework similar to commercial operators.

Textron Aviation also can serve as an operator’s continued airworthiness management organization (CAMO), allowing the company to issue and extend Airworthiness Review Certificates to EASA aircraft.