April 3, 2024
FlyExclusive’s MRO is 24/7 allowing the operator to increase the efficiency of its fleet and now accept outside customers.
The Federal Aviation Administration has certified FlyExclusive as a Repair Station Operator under Part 145 of the FAA’s Code of Federal Regulations.
The certification authorizes the fifth-largest U.S. private jet charter and fractional operator to perform maintenance, repair, paint, interior, and avionics services on third-party aircraft and its fleet of 95 jets.
The company has a six-hangar MRO facility in Kinston, North Carolina.
The MRO operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to optimize aircraft uptime.
Facilities span more than 100,000 square feet, including a state-of-the-art 12,000 square-foot electrostatic painting and coating facility and its nearly 80,000 square feet of shop, interiors, avionics, and maintenance facilities.
“People who fly with us aren’t just purchasing a premium flight experience – they’re purchasing the value of time. Minutes matter to our customers and us,” said Mike Guina, COO of flyExclusive.
He added, “Part 145 certification is a key component of our vertical integration efforts. Few charter companies can back their word with their own work, and this gives us direct control over the status of our fleet.”
The operator completed Phase 2 of a multi-stage plan to execute its unique vertical integration strategy, which aims to bring 80% of its scheduled aircraft maintenance in-house.
The company successfully increased hiring efforts for technicians to meet this goal last year.
Phase 3 includes a new corporate headquarters, ground and flight training space that will house flight simulators, adding approximately 80,000 square feet of training and office space.
“When someone flies with FlyExclusive, we want them to know that our team has obsessed over every detail of their trip, literally down to the stitching of their seat,” said Joe Nelson, SVP MRO.
He added, “We have one of the most experienced MRO teams in the business. Part 145 Certification will allow us to utilize our facilities to provide the level of precision we currently offer to our passengers to other aircraft owners.”
Part 145 certification makes the MRO services available to third-party aircraft owners.
The paint shop is the first in the Southeastern United States and can accommodate aircraft as large as the Gulfstream IV and Falcon 900.
Senior paint team members bring over 20 years of corporate experience and industry processes to the operation. The team has completed work on Citation, Gulfstream, Hawker, King Air, Falcon, and Bombardier aircraft to date.
FlyExclusive is also qualified to provide dealership-certified equipment installations and currently has installation slots available for Garmin, Gogo, and SmartSky.
It has completed SmartSky and Gogo Wi-Fi system installations and specializes in Garmin G5000 upgrades.
