AirX has announced that its jet support division, based at its Diamond Hangar facility at London Stansted airport, is now open to all aircraft owners and operators.

AirX Jet Support opened over four years ago with the acquisition of EASA Part 145 approved maintenance facility Hamlin Jet Services at London Luton airport, in order to take control of some aspects of its growing fleet maintenance requirements. Running a busy charter company demanded a different approach to the typical aircraft maintenance. Opening a second, much larger facility at the Diamond Hangar allows ample space for growth.

AirX Jet Support's focus is on transparent billing, pre-agreed fixed cost agreements and working within strict timelines. The company is focused on what an operator wants from a maintenance provider, driven by experience, and believes a lot of owners/operators will appreciate this methodology.

Holding both UK and Maltese Part 145 licences, AirX Jet Support maintains the Bombardier Challenger 300, 604, 605 and 850 and Embraer 145/Legacy 600/650 and ERJ 190/Lineage 1000. The company also expects to offer Global Express and Citation X maintenance in the near future as it adds further capability.

The team recently carried out a 144-month check on a Legacy 600, which was finished on time and on budget, including landing gear replacement, ADS-B upgrade and new interior. It has started a similar programme on a Challenger 850 and is currently ahead of schedule.

Chairman and founder John Matthews comments: “We are one of Europe's most active operators, and as such, we saw the necessity of building an in-house aircraft maintenance division in order to control the unjustifiable costs of third-party organisations. I have always wanted to build a maintenance facility and begin third party servicing, not only because we would be our own customer but because we could build strong relationships with friendly competition and private owners, by offering available slots in between our in-house heavy checks. By opening our facility at the Diamond Hangar, we now have space to dramatically increase our maintenance ability for both new aircraft types as we grow our fleet, but also to offer owners/operators a new option.

“The straightforward approach we take is born out of the frustrations of the relentlessly questionable invoices we received including parts handling/shipping, ‘AOG/Urgent’ costings, stores fee, an entire batch of clips/sealant/oil when a fraction had been used as well as towing fees and labour hours that did not correspond to job tasks. We set fixed timelines and budgets and stick to them.”