After two years of planning, negotiations and
preparation, Jet Aviation hosted an official groundbreaking ceremony for its new
wide-body hangar project in Basel on Tuesday (21st November).
The new 8,700 sq mtr state-of-the-art hangar
is scheduled to become operational at the end of 2018.
“We have a long history of handling major
modifications and completions at Jet Aviation, and we are fully committed to
investing in the latest technologies that support the highest quality and safety
standards for our customers worldwide,” said Jet Aviation Group President,
Rob Smith.
“This investment also reinforces our commitment to Basel - our home base. We
will create new jobs for the local community and help to further strengthen
Basel as a hub for European aviation.”
Suitable for wide-body projects up to Boeing
747, the new hangar is being built to meet increased demand for wide-body
completions and refurbishments. The hangar will provide an additional 4,550
square meters of hangar space to accommodate a number of wide- and narrow- ody
aircraft simultaneously. The project also extends the tarmac by 5,000 square
meters while adding 2,000 square meters for shops and offices. To maintain
capacity and capabilities throughout the hangar project, the company has leased
additional hangar and shop space. It has also built a pathway to ensure
employees have proper access to all of the hangars.
“Integrating a large complex project such as
this into an existing operation could not have been done without exceptional
teamwork,” said Sylvain Von Hof,
Director Real Estate, Facility Management & Security, EMEA and Asia. “On behalf
of Jet Aviation, I’d like to thank you - all our partners - for your
much-appreciated efforts and support in helping us develop this hangar. We
simply would not be celebrating this groundbreaking if it weren’t for your hard
work and cooperation.”
Despite the large-scale changes, disruption to
both customers and employees is expected to be minimal throughout the hangar’s
construction. Jet Aviation has leased additional hangar and shop space to
maintain capacity and capabilities throughout the process. The extended tarmac
will enable larger aircraft to easily approach the new hangar. |