JET

Close partnership and experienced engineers help JET complete winglet upgrade ahead of schedule.

JET Aviaion

Project: Basel-Euro Airport Hanger; Basel, Switzerland

Date: October 2020

Overview: JET Aviation has been crafting flight in its smoothest form since 1967. The organisation is responsible for Complete Cabin Completions and RMU (Refurbishment, Modification and Upgrades (RMU) activities, aircraft management, sales, charter and the maintenance of private and some governmental/defence aeroplanes.

Challenge

JET Aviation faced an issue whilst carrying out a Full C Check during a RMU project (the aircraft equivalent of a full service) on a Boeing Business Jet in their main maintenance facility in Basel.

The already tight three-month project to complete internal and external refurbishments presented challenges when a split scimitar winglet (a wing-tip modification to help reduce drag) needed to be added.

Changes to the structural integrity of the aircraft meant that the raising or lowering of it could be hazardous, as could people working too closely. But significant fines could be incurred by JET Aviation should the aircraft be handed back late.

Additional skills were required to ensure the on-time completion of the project. Carbon60 has vast experience in this kind of specialist upgrade, so were able to help.

Plane in hanger

Engineering working on plane engine

Solution

Following award of this contract, Carbon60 worked closely with the Project Manager onsite to capture the project brief and worked with the engineers to agree tasks.

We provided JET with several options to best fit their programme. They chose an option which provided them with a team of six specialists (from the UK, Ireland and Italy) and we agreed that JET’s existing licensed engineers would sign off completion of the work, to save costs.

We spoke directly with Boeing and Winglet manufacturer to confirm we had the right specifications and technical drawings, ensuring we had the correct technical instructions and that all parts were available onsite and in time to meet the tight deadline.

The successful management of the project (including ensuring we had access and adequate space to work on the aircraft alongside other engineers) involved constant communication and weekly meetings with the Project Manager.

COVID

An additional complication that had not been anticipated were COVID restrictions. To comply with guidelines and keep the team safe. COVID tests were completed before them arriving into the country in addition to the required quarantine period. We arranged for their tools to be collected and professionally cleaned, etched, and marked ready to be take onto site. Training and induction that would normally have taken place onsite was also reworked so that it could be completed online instead. We arranged to collect the workers every day and take them to site. Once in the hanger, they were kept socially distanced from the rest of the staff.

Outcome

A key service deliverable was the speed and skill of the engineers we provided which resulted in early completion of the project. We estimated a nine-day window but requested 12 hour-a-day access rather than the standard eight and delivered the project within a total of just seven days.

We also provided a true fixed price project – fully itemised and open book – so when we finished early, we were able to refund the cost of unused hotel rooms, cost savings on flights, etc.

The overall success of this project is owing to the partnership we formed with JET. Communication was key: from finding the ten-day window to agree the work and ensuring the on-time delivery of parts, to arranging the required access and space and navigating complex COVID restrictions and testing procedures.

Plane on runway

Challenge

Solution

COVID

Outcome

Get in touch