New Business Aviation MRO for Subic Bay
April 6, 2019
Razon Group, controlled by Philippine billionaire Enrique Razon, has decided to maintain its three Gulfstreams itself in the Philippines rather than fly them to the manufacturer's headquarters in Savannah.
But first it needed the expertise, so it bought the Aviation Concepts Technical Services (ACTSI) maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) business with plans to turn it into a major biz av MRO.
Certified by Cayman Islands and Bermuda, ACTSI says it has signed a lease with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authoritiy for two hangars at Subic Bay International Airport outside Manila.
ACTSI is now upgrading the hangars and plans to take its first aircraft in September.
The MRO will be provide line maintenance for Gulfstream and Bombardier business jets, says ACTSI general manager, John O'Meara, former director of flight operations and chief test pilot for Gulfstream. It plans to win Federal Aviation Administration certification as a Part 145 maintenance and offer services on Gulfstream G280, G450, G550 and G650 aircraft, as well as the Bombardier Global Express 5500, 6500 and eventually the 7500.
Razon Group owns three Gulfstream aircraft, and it will be the first customer, says O'Meara.
"We're not going to be an FBO [fixed based operation] or aircraft management company," he says.
But ACTSI plans to offer covered parking for business jets. O'Meara says: "Subic is a good place for us, because in Manila threre are limited places for business jets to park. If you wanted to establish this operation at Clark, you'd gave ti build a hangar. The advantage of Subic is that the old U.S. Navy and Fed Ex hangar were already there and available."
The other advantage Subic has over Manila, is it is not slot restricted, "and we have negotiated with the airport and municipal authority that Subic will be upgraded to become a 24-hour airport," says O'Meara.
He says he can also see business jet owners from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan choosing to park their aircraft in Subic. "We are offering highly competitive rates for covered parking, even if you factor in the cost of the ferry flight."
