Canada-headquartered flotation equipment manufacturer Dart Aerospace is expanding its EMEA operations with the opening of an Amsterdam repair and overhaul (R&O) facility, which is now fully functional. Dart's roster of clients across Europe, the Middle East and Africa can now send their inflatables directly to the new facility for repair and overhaul, significantly reducing the time it previously took to ship them to the original facility in Broussard, Louisiana.

Situated outside of Amsterdam in Nieuw-Vennep, the facility is newly EASA Part 145 certified, effectively providing it with the authorisation to perform maintenance on inflatable equipment within Europe. With the facility's convenient location in the heart of the European Union, clients in the region can now ship emergency flotation systems, liferafts and reservoirs for their AW109, Bell medium and H145/EC145 aircraft to Dart within as little as one business day in some cases.

Additionally, the company has centralised its R&O coordination efforts within its Montreal, Canada headquarters so that its clients can maintain efficient communications and enjoy an OEM level of service in its DartCare centre of excellence. Dart has established itself as an expert in the flotation system R&O field, with its Amsterdam facility joining its network in the United States, as well as third party centres in the United Arab Emirates, Italy and Australia.

“We look forward to being able to provide world-class R&O services to Dart's EMEA clients now that our new Amsterdam facility is fully certified and functional,” says operations R&O Europe manager Harvey Siemens. “Ideally situated near Schiphol airport, this facility will now allow us to provide the same services we do in Broussard, Louisiana, but on this side of the globe.”

Dart provides design, manufacturing and market-certified solutions for the helicopter and aerospace industry. With an impressive line-up of over 900 STCs and 4,500 products, Dart offers a comprehensive portfolio of mission equipment and related services, replacement parts and tooling for civil and military operators, all major rotorcraft OEMs, completion centers and MRO facilities. Dart's key products include flotation systems, landing gears, interior and exterior accessories, cargo expansion, external loads, cable cutters and filters. It has extensive engineering capabilities and its manufacturing centers deliver fast time-to-market solutions in over 120 countries worldwide.