Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. announced last week that it has officially opened its second company-owned maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Southern California, one of the world’s busiest corridors for Gulfstream business jets. The new service center at Van Nuys Airport has customer resources that include sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and sizable ramp space.
The new KVNY service center will also serve as the local operating base for Gulfstream’s FAST Field and Airborne Support Teams, a rapid-response unit that specializes in troubleshooting grounded aircraft. The new Van Nuys operation complements Gulfstream’s existing Long Beach service center and completions facility approximately 45 miles away.
“We are excited and proud to add Gulfstream Van Nuys to our rapidly growing worldwide service center network,” said Derek Zimmerman, president, Gulfstream Customer Support. “Southern California, especially Los Angeles County, is a prime location for Gulfstream business jets, and with maintenance facilities in both Van Nuys and Long Beach, we have the resources to assist customers based in and transitioning through the area faster and more efficiently.
The Gulfstream Van Nuys facility is approximately 66,000 sq ft, which includes approximately 43,000 sq ft of hangar space, enough to accommodate four Gulfstream G650ER or G650 aircraft. Adjacent to the facility is a fixed-based operation run by sister company Jet Aviation that has a 10,000-sq-ft terminal and 43,000-sq-ft hangar, which includes office space.
“This expansion ensures our new aircraft, the Gulfstream G500 and G600, and the rest of our growing fleet continue to have the best service and support in business aviation. We’re grateful to our parent company, General Dynamics, and to Los Angeles World Airports for their critical support.”
In addition, the new KVNY facility has easy access to Gulfstream’s West Coast Customer Support Distribution Center, in place at Van Nuys Airport since 2014, which has a parts and materials inventory of nearly $30 million.
Gulfstream’s MRO operations in Van Nuys and Long Beach are certified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. Gulfstream Long Beach also has European Union Aviation Safety Agency and Civil Aviation Administration of China maintenance approvals, among others. Gulfstream Van Nuys will add foreign maintenance approvals in the coming months.
Both Gulfstream Van Nuys and Long Beach offer SAF, which is produced at a nearby refinery operated by World Energy and blended with traditional petroleum-based Jet-A fuel. “We continue to educate our customers about SAF and promote its many benefits,” Zimmerman said.
Gulfstream Van Nuys is the company’s third maintenance facility opening in the past five months. The new service center has many sustainable features, including recycled building materials, an energy-efficient thermoplastic polyolefin roof, water-saving fixtures and landscaping, and enhanced control systems for heating/cooling. The facility will receive U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
In related Gulfstream news out of VNY, Planet Nine Private Air, a private charter operator and aircraft management company based at the airport, is adding an ultra-long-range Gulfstream GV as its tenth managed aircraft. The GV is being readied for bookings from the beginning of 2020.
The GV offers 6,200-nm range (up to 13 hours’ flying time), and is Planet Nine Private Air’s third Gulfstream model, joining a G650 and G550. “The addition of this remarkably high spec Gulfstream GV is an excellent way to round off what has been a successful year for us,” noted Matt Walter, Planet Nine Cofounder and Director of Business Development.
