Californian private jet management, charter, maintenance and FBO provider ACI Jet has been approved by Bombardier as an authorised service facility (ASF). The new ASF will provide line and maintenance services, warranty work and inspections for Bombardier's large cabin Challenger and Global business jets.

To facilitate what the company anticipates will be a greater than 30 per cent growth in labour through each of its first two years operating as a Bombardier ASF, ACI Jet is recruiting to fill 15 immediate, full-time positions in direct support of Bombardier products, all from its San Luis Obispo (KSBP) maintenance headquarters. These positions include aircraft A&P (airframe and powerplant) and avionics technicians, management positions, inspectors and a project manager.

The company anticipates the volume of aircraft in service at its San Luis Obispo facility to double. Already well underway, and with a scheduled completion date of Q2 2020, are the company's 25,000 sq ft hangar expansion project and the construction of its new corporate headquarters. The added hangar space and FBO will bring ACI Jet's footprint at KSBP to approximately 18 acres, with more than 80,000 sq ft of maintenance, storage and tenant hangar space.

There are more than 2,900 Bombardier aircraft operating from North American bases. In the western United States, these range from individually owned aircraft to members of large corporate and governmental fleets. ACI Jet currently operates a managed fleet containing four Global Express/XRS aircraft, plus an additional four Challenger 600 series aircraft. While ACI Jet's MRO business unit supports its existing fleet of Bombardier business jets, more than 85 per cent of the aircraft it services are owned, managed and/or operated by third parties.

“This is a major milestone for ACI, but it also bears noting just how significant this is for California,” says Dave Jensen, ACI Jet's senior VP of maintenance. “In our first 21 years, we connected the central coast of California to the world using charter operations and growing large-cabin aircraft management services. With this new ASF, we are reversing the flow and bringing the world to California's beautiful central coast. These are exciting times for San Luis Obispo County and our vibrant and growing community.”