MRO and FBO provider Berry Aviation has opened a 31,400 sq ft maintenance hangar in San Marcos, Texas.

This announcement comes on the heels of 10 new FAA and EASA Part 145 class ratings the company received in late 2019: Airframe 3 and 4; Powerplant 1, 2 and 3; Propeller 1 and 2; and Accessories 1, 2 and 3.

“We've had a busy year gearing up for this maintenance hangar and our newly received Part 145 ratings,” says Stanley Finch, Berry Aviation president and COO. “The overall increase in space is impressive and adds a significant boost to our productivity and efficiency. This new hangar adds enough aircraft capacity to give us an estimated 75 per cent increase in hands-on maintenance work. That added productivity expands our ability to service company aircraft and additional commercial maintenance customers. The new hangar aligns well with our extensive list of advanced FAA Part 145 certifications, which is a significant advantage to the maintenance product we can supply customers worldwide.”

The larger maintenance space for Berry Aviation specifically includes a 19,300 sq ft aircraft maintenance area, a 3,500 sq ft component repair and overhaul area and a 2,800 sq ft parts department. This not only allows for increased hands-on work with aircraft but also enhances backshop support for component repair and streamlines supply and parts operations.

“Overall, these improvements have increased the company's ability to add new repair capabilities by tenfold,” Finch continues. “That, coupled with the new certifications, allows us to operate on a much wider range of aircraft and parts. Our maintenance organisation is poised to contribute significantly to a dynamic 2020 and beyond.”

Berry Aviation was founded in 1983 and expanded its aviation services in 1987 by becoming a Department of Defense (DOD) CARB-approved air carrier with worldwide operating authority providing specialty aviation services to various branches of the US military and other US government organisations. Berry conducts contiguous US and outside the contiguous US (OCONUS) operations with a fleet of more than 25 aircraft, with past and current OCONUS operations including Hawaii, Marshall Islands, Johnston Island, Afghanistan, Peru and Africa.

The company was acquired in 2018 by Acorn Growth Companies, a private equity firm investing exclusively in aerospace, defence and intelligence.

“Berry Aviation was our largest acquisition at the time, and today's announcement further confirms its strength and ability to grow its operations worldwide,” says Acorn managing partner Rick Nagel. “The growth has been tremendous, and we look forward to continuing to support Berry Aviation to serve government services, cargo needs, support operations and logistics.”