Jet Aviation commences development of two new hangars in Basel

Jet Aviation announced that development is underway on two new wide-body hangars at its site in Basel, Switzerland. The combined structures will bring the total hangar capacity of the site to some 40,000 square meters, with some 18,000 square meters of production and shops. Basel is the company’s largest facility and global headquarters, with six hangars, currently totaling some 36,000 square meters, 52,000 square meters of ramp space, and some 18,000 square meters of production and shops. The current Hangars 1 and 2 will be rebuilt and extended to create two new, state-of-the-art wide-body hangars, totaling 16,000 square meters, with 5,500 square meters of shops.

Cyril Martiniere, vice president maintenance operations Europe and GM Basel commented: “As one of the world’s leading maintenance and completion facilities, we are committed to growing and evolving our site and capabilities in line with the needs of our customers. In 1967 we were pioneers, bringing business aviation to Europe. Basel was our first site and remains our global headquarters, and home to our largest maintenance, refurbishment, modification, and VIP completions center. We have grown from one hangar to six hangars, and in the past decade we have expanded the site by over 14,000 square meters to ensure that we continue to provide an effortless experience, no matter the aircraft type, or service required.”

Building on existing sustainability practices at the site, including a building energy management system that optimizes and reduces energy consumption, and the introduction of on-site sustainable aviation fuel earlier this year, the new hangars are built with modern, sustainable construction methods in mind. They will feature a wooden arch, extensive natural lighting via skylights, geothermal and solar energy production, underfloor heating, a state-of-the-art exterior construction for optimal insulation, and a mega-door to allow for flexibility in aircraft movements and reduce door opening in extreme weather. Additional features have also been integrated to provide an efficient working environment, including integrated GSE storage areas, tank ventilation systems, lifts for efficient flow of parts and raw materials, a flat floor for jacking and leveling, and aerial lifelines across the entire space. 

Sylvain von Hof, vice president SCM & Real Estate stated: “As well as offering new options for customers, we also build our infrastructure with our team top of mind. The new hangars will provide a state-of-the-art working environment, enabling them the highest standards of safety and efficiency in service of a seamless employee experience. These hangars represent the next step in our ongoing infrastructure journey in Basel, and I would like to thank everyone who has supported us and enabled our continued growth and success in the region, including the EuroAirport, the local authorities and community, our local construction partners, and, of course, our team on site.”

In 2008, Jet Aviation opened a 10,000 square-meter wide-body hangar in Basel. A new 8,740 square-meter wide-body hangar was opened in 2018, with a 10,000 square-meter Logistics Center opening in 2020, and a state-of-the-art 8,000 square-meter Production Center in 2021.