Jet Aviation taking care of customer's assets - wherever you are, we are there

Taking great care of customer’s assets is number one priority for Jet Aviation. From take-off to landing and every moment in between, a dedicated team of hangar operations experts in Basel are giving their all to ensure a safe and smooth experience, every time. A typical day starts at 6.00, when the team meets to bring together the most efficient aircraft hangar layout overview for the day to come. It’s not an easy task, as the perfect synergy between aircraft moves and planned aircraft maintenance activities has to be found.

While making sure that hangar capacity is maximized, the team needs to ensure that mechanics have the best conditions to perform their work in, always ensuring the safest work environment. Depending on the type of maintenance activity to be performed, its length, as well as daily aircraft moves, the planning can be quite the challenge. Moving 152.9 tons with a 70m wingspan on a ramp requires a wide range of skills and a lot of concentration. Anticipation and experience as well as trust within the team are probably the most important criteria to be considered. On average, Jet Aviation covers up to 300 aircraft movements per month. For each aircraft movement, three aircraft operations experts are working together to ensure all steps are carried out smoothly and safely from initial position to final parking inside the hangar, to prevent any incident or damage. Challenging weather conditions as well as the promise of minimum aircraft downtime can become very complex.

Laurent Schnoebelen, Director Operations, said: “from my 34 years of aviation experience, I am proud to be able to support this team. They are constantly coming up with the best decisions and solutions to avoid mistakes and are thereby improving our daily site operations.”

The team takes care of it all, from handling services (laundry, luggage, crockery), marshalling, aircraft weighing, ground power unit, oxygen and fueling coordination. Sometimes they also co-work with maintenance colleagues to perform compass calibration swing checks and engine test runs to make sure the aircraft is fully operational for its next flight. In constant contact with the airport tower, the rule is to always think and act safely, even when unforeseen circumstances arise.

“Each day brings along a new challenge, and what I love the most about our team is that each member is unique and puts forward a special skill. Our daily hangar operations activities are like a puzzle being assembled,” explains Alain Pierrat, Operations Support Worker.

Some aspects of the hangar operations can be very demanding for the body (i.e., lifting heavy loads) and as a result several ergonomic and health and safety trainings are being offered to the team to reduce the risk of injury and make sure that each employee can work in the best conditions. In parallel with this, continuous efforts are made to reduce our impact on the environment, as the team is always looking for ways to minimize emissions and are set to purchase an additional electric tow truck soon.