Also Unveils Plans For First European MSU
Cessna is set to begin construction of its new Citation Service
Center in Valencia, Spain, in January of next year, they said
Monday at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition
(EBACE).
California-based Jacobs Engineering Group will design and build
the new center, which is scheduled to begin operations in 2012.
Jacobs is managing the project through its office in Madrid.
“There are some 400 Citations within a 90-minute radius of
the Valencia airport, making it a prime location that will greatly
enhance service options for our European operators,” said
Jack Pelton, Cessna chairman, president and CEO. “The
cooperation from Spanish authorities at all levels has been
outstanding.”
Valencia Service Center Artists Rendering
The new facility in Valencia will augment the Cessna Citation
Service Center in Paris. It will include 64,000 square feet of
hangar space and about 88,264 square feet of office, storage and
shop space. Cessna plans to begin hiring employees next year and
will work with FlightSafety International to fulfill maintenance
training requirements.
But, if you need Cessna to come to you, the company also
announced it will activate its first European Mobile Service Unit
later this year. The MSU will provide local customer service for
southern Europe as part of ServiceDirect, which brings Citation
service to the customer’s hangar. Additionally, Cessna opened
its European Citation parts distribution center in 2009 to offer
faster delivery throughout the region
“The Cessna Mobile Service Unit, part of our ServiceDirect
program, has already proven its worth to our customers in the
United States,” said Mark Paolucci, senior vice president,
Customer Service. “With more than 1,000 Citations delivered
to European customers, we have put a great emphasis on expanding
service options here. Adding the new MSU, along with the full array
of ServiceDirect options, is a natural progression to ensure
Citation customers in Europe are getting the best
service.”
Cessna MSU Europe Artists Rendering
The European MSU will be based at a still-to-be-determined
location in southern France and will cover an area including
southern France, Geneva, northern Italy and northern Spain. As with
the U.S.-based MSUs, the European version will be capable of a
variety of maintenance functions from simple line maintenance to
major repairs including engine changes.
The new Citation MSU will complement the company’s
Citation Service Center at Le Bourget Airport near Paris. Other
recent European actions include setting up a new spare parts
distribution center in Amsterdam and the announcement of a new
Citation Service Center in Valencia.