Large business aircraft completions and MRO provider Citadel Completions has expanded its facility at Chennault International Airport (KCWF) in Lake Charles, Louisiana. There, the company has signed a three-year lease with the airport authority on an additional 10,000-sq-ft facility, one of the few remaining available structures on the field.
This will allow it to relocate its supply chain management and warehouse center, freeing up enough space in 115,200-sq-ft Hangar D to accommodate an additional maintenance bay suitable for narrowbody aircraft. “That brings in another A320, A319, or 737 and it has enough room for us to do more maintenance there, and frankly meet the customer demands that we are seeing out there on the market,” explained Neil Boyle, Citadel’s senior v-p and general manager. He added that the company’s main focus is on private jet maintenance. “Because of the requests for so much maintenance on VIP business aircraft, and the outfitting and refurbs, we’ve decided it’s time to get the warehouse off the floor.” According to Boyle, the company’s backlog extends to mid-2025, despite running two shifts a day.
Citadel, which began operations six years ago, also operates the even larger Hangar H at KCWF with 118,000 sq ft of space, enough for a Boeing 777 and an Airbus A340, with room for several smaller aircraft. In anticipation of its increase in business resulting from the expansion, it plans to hire 20 more employees.
“We stick with the Boeing and Airbus product right now and focus on maintenance and re-completions,” Boyle told AIN. “There’s not a lot of maintenance facilities doing A340 maintenance, we’re very good at that, and for the [Boeing 777]. Anywhere from dropping the engines and gear changes, all of that very heavy maintenance. This crew is very proficient in turning that.”
Despite its U.S. location, a large portion of the company’s business comes from Europe and the Middle East, and Boyle is hoping to meet with many new and existing clients this week at MEBAA.