“Our customers requested a factory-owned service facility in the Northeast; we listened and delivered with Hawker Beechcraft Services Wilmington on New Castle County Airport in Wilmington, Delaware,” Christi Tannahill, senior vice president, Global Customer Support, told AIN. “The customer support team is designed to instill confidence and peace of mind. HBS Wilmington is an important element of that strategy.” The new FAR Part 145 repair station is housed in a 60,000-sq-ft facility that includes 40,000 sq ft of hangar space, 8,500 sq ft of back shops and 10,000 sq ft of office space.

Tannahill said HBS tailored the Wilmington facility to make customers feel at home by providing guest offices and workspace with computers, Wi-Fi access, printers and phones. “HBS Wilmington will give our large installed base of operators in the region a convenient location.”

HBS worked closely with the Delaware River and Bay Authority and Delaware Economic Development Office to transform an existing training facility in Wilmington to meet the needs of an HBS service center, said Tannahill. The operation is expected to generate up to 100 new jobs during the next five years.