Avionco, headquartered in Calgary, Canada, is in the final stages of applying for an AOC with the 2-REG registry in Guernsey, paving the way for it to manage business jets in Europe from early November.

The company has been providing global aviation services for more than 20 years, and VP Josh Dodd says that 2-REG made the process of branching into Europe very smooth: “The flexibility and commonsense approach of the 2-REG people and the Guernsey Directorate of Civil Aviation was both enlightening and rewarding,” he tells EBAN. “With their help, it quickly became clear that we could provide a world-class service to our customers, efficiently and safely.”

The company has partnered with Skyline Aviation in Austria to secure a management contract for a Challenger 850. Adds Dodd: “Our experience over the last two decades in supporting customers with entry into service for new aircraft gave us a solid background for the Guernsey expansion. Our customers have their own businesses to concentrate on, so they need the right partner who can manage the business of flying for them. Our quick response time is good for our clients' business, and ours too.”

The AOC application process has lasted more than a year, and Dodd sees it as a logical step for the company. “We're already well-versed in many other service offerings including tech ops, flight ops and entry into service. We have staff positioned all over the world providing maintenance and engin-eering support as well as a network of pilots to serve where needed. We expect that this AOC expansion will help us to achieve double digit growth over the next five years.”

Gulfstream, Airbus and Boeing types are expected to join the roster in the near future. “Applying for the Guernsey AOC required us to complete an exhaustive strategic assessment of the European market. This has highlighted greater opportunities,” Dodd concludes.