The arrival of the new year marks a new opportunity for aircraft modification and maintenance provider King Aerospace to apply and build on its employee-centric leadership philosophy to serving VVIP, government, and military clients, the company said Wednesday.
“2023 was a year with lots of challenges for King Aerospace but also some great new opportunities,” said company chairman and founder Jerry King. "Through it all, I remain incredibly proud—and suitably humbled—by how our team joins together through both triumph and adversity to fulfill our most important duty: providing superior service to our valued customers.”
King Aerospace added two respected industry veterans to the company last year. Pete Schneider brings his extensive background in aircraft modifications and completions as v-p of program management and special projects. Bob Blanchard, whose career with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and National Air Security Operations spans three decades, now serves as King Aerospace's new vice president of business development and special projects.
Separately, King Aerospace in February promoted longtime team member Keith Weaver to vice president of business development.
The year also provided several opportunities to demonstrate “King Kulture” to customers during ceremonies marking the opening of two new King Aerospace hangars at Northwest Arkansas National Airport (KXNA) near Bentonville. Later in the year, the facility welcomed its first Boeing BBJ, which traveled more than 7,000 miles for maintenance and refurbishment by King Aerospace.
Similarly, the second annual King Aerospace BBJ Operators Forum brought together members of that community to share Boeing Business Jet operational matters.
Finally, in October, King Aerospace met with customers and highlighted its offerings for commercial aircraft upgrades and modifications during the annual NBAA-BACE convention.
“I’ve never had a more productive show in 40-plus years of attending NBAA,” said King. “We had a ton of presidential fleet people there and lots of BBJ customers there. We even had our competition at our booth!”
The past year also brought challenges as King Aerospace prepared for the planned end of its contractor logistics support (CLS) responsibilities for the U.S. Army’s special electronic mission aircraft (SEMA) fleet. King Aerospace said it remains poised to fulfill new assignments in support of the U.S. armed forces.