Jet Aviation has celebrated the official grand opening of the company's new maintenance, refurbishment and fixed base operations (FBO) facility at London Biggin Hill Airport.

According to Elie Zelouf, vice president and general manager, the facility is comprised of two renovated hangars totalling 5,188 square metres (17,020 square feet) and a recently constructed FBO building. “The building houses a reception area with UK customs and immigration services, a snack area, and a vip customer lounge with a window view of the ramp for customers to view arriving aircraft.”

The customer lounge is equipped with beige leather sofas and chairs, coffee tables, a television with video and DVD players, and working spaces with computers, telephones, and Internet connections.

The facility’s first hangar, to be used for aircraft maintenance, painting, and hangarage services, underwent a small refurbishment and was painted after receiving a new floor. The second hangar

was demolished and reconstructed with new walls, a new ceiling, maintenance shops, a storage

room, and a new lighting and heating system.

The facility recently received licensing from the United Kingdom CAA to become a JAR-145 approved maintenance facility.

The new status allows Jet Aviation Biggin Hill to perform maintenance, repairs, defect rectifications, inspec-tions, avionics modification on Citation, Challenger, Falcon, Gulf-stream and Hawker aircraft series and to issue related certificates of release.

The approval allows for line maintenance on specific Cessna Citation 550 and 560 aircraft, Falcon 20, 50, 900 and 2000s, and Gulfstream III, IV and V aircraft, among others.