St. Croix-based FBO Bohlke International Airways has received FAA Part 145 certification for its repair station, the company announced on Tuesday at NBAA 2016. The family-owned company, established in 1959, also operates a Part 135 charter fleet.

“The reason we decided to go this avenue is just that there is a need, and as our fleet has grown, there is just more of a need to have this in the islands,” said company president William “Billy” Bohlke. “I think it's just baby steps first and then we can grow into ourselves over time. The next step will be avionics.”

Bohlke is the first in the region to offer maintenance on the Astra/SPX, Cessna 400 series and Citation II. Service is also offered for the G100 and King Air 200 series, as well as hot-section maintenance on the ubiquitous P&WC PT6A turboprop.

This marks the establishment of a qualified maintenance presence at the most southern and eastern part of the U.S., offering convenient access to aircraft transiting between the mainland U.S. and South America. “This Part 145 repair station can save airplane owners and pilots from flying another 900-plus miles to Florida,” noted Bohlke. “We are proud to open this maintenance facility after many years of working towards this goal.”

The facility’s repair staff, which performs all the standby maintenance for the airlines frequenting the island, includes a recipient of the FAA’s Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award. It provides AOG service, with outcalls to other islands. The company might capitalize on its new certification by courting fractional operators such as NetJets and Flexjet to be their preferred maintenance provider in the region.

Because St. Croix is a U.S. territory, Bohlke’s location can receive spare or replacement parts overnight from the U.S., without the customs and taxation delays encountered on some of the foreign-owned islands, according to company CEO William Bohlke Jr.