West Star Aviation is reporting strong early returns from its acquisition of DC Jet as the company expands its aircraft-on-ground (AOG) support capabilities ahead of the summer travel season.

The acquisition, which was confirmed in March of this year, added technicians, tooling resources and five additional field maintenance locations to West Star's network, helping the business aviation MRO respond more quickly to increasing customer demand. DC Jet operates from facilities at Dulles, Chicago Midway, Orlando, Seattle and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The deal expanded what West Star describes as one of the industry's largest AOG networks, increasing its field maintenance workforce from more than 200 technicians to more than 250 AOG-ready specialists positioned across the United States.

West Star's dedicated AOG control centre is staffed by 12 controllers providing support around the clock throughout the year, coordinating technician dispatch and maintenance responses when aircraft require urgent assistance. The company says the enlarged technician pool has improved coverage, increased field expertise and strengthened response capability nationwide.

The company recorded its highest-ever AOG request volume in May while achieving a record acceptance rate of 84%, reflecting growing demand and the benefits of its expanded resources.

AOG vans are equipped with specialist tooling, while technicians can also access tooling and ground support equipment across West Star's network to meet the requirements of individual assignments and minimise aircraft downtime.

West Star says its in-house training programme is helping prepare technicians more efficiently while reducing reliance on external training providers.

With AOG technicians positioned across the United States, the company continues to build its ability to provide rapid nationwide support when operators face unexpected maintenance events.

Gary Lee, vice president of AOG at West Star Aviation, says: “The added resources have strengthened our ability to support customers at a critical time of year. As demand rises, we now have over 250 technicians, essential to meeting our customers' needs when no one ever plans to be grounded. The benefits include expanded availability, increased tooling resources and a 24/7 control centre. With access to tooling and GSE across our network, we're poised to respond quickly, safely and effectively wherever our customers need us.”