Larger Hangar Enables Spirit To Serve Broader Clientele

MRO and modification specialist Spirit Aeronautics has relocated to a larger hangar that will allow it to serve a broader range of clients. Located at Signature Flight Support’s FBO at John Glenn Columbus (Ohio) International Airport, the new hangar encompasses more than 120,000 sq ft with doors measuring 120 ft wide and 29 ft high.

“We are keeping true to our growth plans established years prior in moving into much larger hangar accommodations in 2020,” said CEO Rick Ochs. “This move will allow us to operate more efficiently, saving our customers downtime and reducing costs.”

According to the company, the new hangar is large enough to accommodate Bombardier Global 7500s as well as regional airliners configured for VVIP transport, enabling Spirit to serve a wider clientele. “We are fortunate to be able to use the current economic environment to reduce our overhead costs while increasing our capabilities for aircraft maintenance and avionics systems modifications operations,” Ochs added.

For the past 19 years, Spirit’s three hangars—two of which were 6,000 sq ft and the third at 3,500 sq ft—could only accommodate midsize business jets such as the Learjet 60 and Hawker 1000, Ochs told AIN. Previously, its VVIP modifications on larger aircraft required the company to perform the work at remote hangars.