Marshall Aviation Services Update. Pre EBACE 2014 Focuses on widened MRO portfolio and special mission work.

Wednesday 7th May 2014

• 
• 

Goal is for civil/business aviation activity within the Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group to expand from 5% to 18% of turnover.

Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group (Marshall ADG) continues to expand its capabilities in business aviation through its newly created Aviation Services Division under the leadership of Managing Director Steve Jones.   Central to this is commitment to expand its MRO capabilities at its Broughton, North Wales and Cambridge facilities by taking on more aircraft types such as the Bombardier Global family and expanding activity in special mission work.  In line with these aspirations, James Dillon-Godfray was appointed early this year to a new role as VP Business Development.

MRO activity covering Europe, Middle East and Africa, has so far focused on the Hawker and Beechcraft family, where Marshall Aviation Services enjoys authorised service centre status at Broughton.  Marshall has also supported Cessna Citation aircraft at Cambridge for 40 years.  In anticipation of further work it recently moved its primary maintenance facility from 22 Hangar to 2 Hangar, enabling it to double its capacity for Citation maintenance - to 60,000 sq.ft.)  For many years Marshall has worked on Bombardier's Global Express aircraft, primarily on green completions and special mission aircraft.   Now for the first time, Marshall Aviation Services are offering full spectrum MRO support on the type to the wider retail business aviation market from its Cambridge facility.

Among the top 10 European business aviation companies - 400-strong workforce.

The acquisition last September of Beechcraft's 50-year old flagship European MRO business, Hawker Beechcraft Limited, was pivotal to bolstering Marshall's commercial business.  It welcomed in 230 additional talented personnel, including 28 design staff, to Marshall Aviation Services, taking the Division's overall workforce to 400.  This already puts MAS among the top 10 companies in Europe for business aviation support and solutions.

It has also given Marshall Aviation Services critical mass and a widened scope of activity such as aircraft completions and a dedicated state-of-the-art paint facility and paint design centre which can carry out custom designs to a wide selection of exterior liveries.  Marshall Aviation Services Broughton holds the original HBC inventory of £3 million in parts.  The site, updated several years ago, includes a modern FBO style environment, including private customer offices, workstations, customer lounge, prayer room and a dedicated customer services team headed by Stuart McNeills.  Its hangars and workshops support MRO, aerostructures, avionics, design engineering, modifications and interior refurbishment.

Marshall Aviation Services will contribute £60 million to the Group this year.

Together with its March 2013 acquisition of charter and aircraft management company FlairJet, giving the company an Oxford base, revenues at Marshall Aviation Services will increase from £10 million in 2012/2013 to £60 million this year.  Building on this, the goal for the Group, renowned for its work in military aircraft modifications and maintenance support to the UK MOD and many international customers, looks to increase its civil/business aviation activity from 5% to 18% of group turnover, says Managing Director Steve Jones.  "This is quite a shift of focus for the organisation," he highlights.

Marshall Aviation Services also embraces Cambridge International Airport, which from May 12th will welcome new twice daily return flights Monday to Friday, plus one day return at the weekend to both Amsterdam and Dublin, by established regional carrier CityJet. Operated by Fokker 50 aircraft, fares will be from £102 return to Dublin and £147 return to Amsterdam.  In addition to a programme of summer charters and a weekly scheduled service to Verona by Etihad Regional Darwin Airline, the airport also owns a successful FBO run by ExecuJet.   ExecuJet has significantly grown its presence at Cambridge with both business jets and helicopters based there and available for charter.  Short notice, 25 minute helicopter shuttles to The London Heliport in Battersea are also available for the first time utilising an Airbus Helicopters EC155.

Additional operational approvals for FlairJet.

Marshall Aviation Services' aircraft charter and management arm is represented by FlairJet, which took over the activity of the former Marshall Executive Aviation and combined the operations into one AOC at the end of June last year.  FlairJet manages four aircraft - two Embraer Phenom 100s, one based in Bari, Italy, operated for a private owner and a UK based aircraft available for charter out of London Oxford Airport, where FlairJet's 20 staff, including pilots, are based.  A Cessna Citation XLS and Bravo are based at London Luton to increase availability and competitiveness during the summer season.  FlairJet offers training support on Embraer Phenoms and has an ongoing relationship with NetJets in support of their Phenom 300 pilot training.  Recent operational approvals include Minimum Navigation Performance Specification (MNPS) for the Citation XLS, enabling FlairJet to operate to Iceland more cost effectively and P-RNAV approvals on both the Phenom 100 and Citation XLS.  This is required for Amsterdam and enables FlairJet to take advantage of more efficient arrival and departure procedures at major European airports.

Aircraft brokerage activity and new Beechcraft sales off to a good start.

Marshall's move into pre-owned aircraft sales and acquisitions in November 2012 with the launch of its JETability brand has had a good first year with a total of 10 aircraft sold.  The first quarter saw sales of a Cessna CJ2+, an Agusta Westland 109E Power, and an Airbus Helicopters AS355N.

Separate from the pre-owned business is Marshall Aviation Services' exclusive role as sales distributor for UK, Ireland and Scandinavia for Beechcraft with a dedicated sales team led by Sales Director Howard Povey and Craig Lammiman as Regional Sales Director (UK, Ireland and Channel Islands) who joined from Freestream Aircraft.   They have ratified sales of three new King Airs in the first quarter of 2014.   "There is a big resurgence of interest in this popular business turboprop and constant evolution of the King Air family with companies like Wheels Up in the US making it the aircraft of choice for their expanding fractional programme," said Steve Jones.

Marshall Aviation Services will be exhibiting at EBACE, Geneva 20th-22nd May on Stand 5642.

About Marshall Aviation.

Marshall Aviation Services (www.marshallas.com) is responsible for all of Marshall ADG's business and commercial aviation activities, including the management of Cambridge International Airport. Across its Broughton, Cambridge and Oxford locations it offers solutions including: maintenance, modification, refurbishment and conversion of business aircraft to Hawker, King Air and Cessna Citation aircraft amongst others.  The company also provides aircraft management and charter through FlairJet; sales of new Beechcraft Aircraft across the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia; hangarage at Cambridge Airport; and within JETability, aircraft brokerage and complementary services tailored to the requirements of business aircraft owners and operators.

Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group (www.marshalladg.com) specialises in the conversion and modification of military, civil and business aircraft; defence vehicle engineering and shelter manufacture. Its capabilities include engineering design, manufacture and test, systems integration, maintenance and product support, and the provision of personnel, training and advice. The company is valued for its integrity, performance and customer focus which has been demonstrated through its innovative solutions and ability to deliver on-time and to-cost.

Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group is part of the Marshall Group of Companies which employs over 4,500 people with a turnover in excess of £1.1bn.

Cambridge International Airport (www.cambridgeairport.com) is an important gateway for the East of England, with a strong focus on Cambridge and its business, academic and industrial sectors but also ideally positioned for easy access to London at just under an hour's drive to Canary Wharf and East London.  The airport is currently experiencing growth in the passenger airline and executive jet sectors and recent new airline and tour operator services and has recently undergone an upgrade in its passenger facilities.  With a 1,965m/6447ft runway accepting aircraft up to Boeing 757 or Airbus A320 and all regional jet types, it is suitable for short to medium haul passenger airline services, with 24/7 capability.

It boasts CAA Category 7 Fire & Air Traffic Control status and has full navigational aids and communications, which include radar approach coverage up to 30nm and GPS approaches, which complement an ILS system.