MRO Profile: ACI Jet Growing with Focus on Bombardier, Citation Mx

While California-based ACI Jet has had a maintenance presence at San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport (KSBP) since 2008, the grand opening of its new FBO/MRO facility in 2021 was muted by the then-pandemic. But in the half-decade since, the company has seen its repair business expand on average by 9% annually due to its increased space. Over the past year, the maintenance provider handled 174 different tails in its shop. An FAA Part 145 repair station, it also carries repair designations from Transport Canada, Isle of Man, and, as of last year, EASA.

The 35,000-sq-ft hangar can accommodate the latest ultra-long-range business jets, which, for ACI, means the Bombardier Global 8000. The company is a Bombardier factory-authorized service center, as well as a parts depot for the Canadian OEM, and handles the full line of Challengers and Globals.

ACI also specializes in Textron Aviation Cessna Citations, with the two airframers accounting for virtually all of the company’s customer aircraft. “For AOG, we will help anybody out if they have a problem,” said ACI CEO Bill Borgsmiller. “But for scheduled inspections, modifications, and large-scale work packages, we’re really focused on the Bombardier and Citation product lines. We’re focused on being a master of something instead of a jack-of-all-trades.”

When asked about the scope of work ACI performs, Borgsmiller simply replied, “Everything.” That claim was recently put to the test with a major renovation project on a 20-year-old Citation XLS. At the conclusion of the four-month project, the owner received what was practically a new airplane, with a new Garmin G5000 cockpit, Starlink connectivity, and cabin upgrade. Engine swaps are a common occurrence at the KSBP facility, which also offers a full avionics shop supporting all the major equipment brands.

At any given time, the company can have up to nine aircraft in the hangar simultaneously, depending on the size mix. Given California’s typically agreeable weather, additional work can be done on the ramp. In terms of backlog, for a major project, ACI is scheduling three months out, but smaller-duration tasks, such as connectivity installations, are used to backfill any gaps in the schedule.

To take advantage of the Golden State’s abundant sunshine, the complex was recently equipped with a 900-panel solar array, which generates enough electricity to meet all its needs.

The MRO also has another 8,000 sq ft of administrative and guest offices located in the FBO terminal. “One thing we do probably better than most service facilities is the customer experience,” said Borgsmiller, describing the amenities provided for visiting directors of maintenance and other stakeholders. “It’s like taking your car to a really nice dealership for service, but a couple levels up from that. I think we go a lot further than most do in that regard.”

At KSBP, ACI has 52 employees on the maintenance side, while its mobile repair teams are based out of its other FBO at John Wayne Orange County Airport (KSNA) in Santa Ana. There are another 14 technicians to handle AOG situations. The company has seven work vans (soon expanding to nine) that travel as far north as Canada, and as far south as Mexico. “There’s not a location we won’t go,” said Isaac Garner, the company’s MRO quality control manager.

ACI’s shop runs an overlapping four-day, 10-hour work week. “Our goal is to grow where we’re running two shifts, seven days a week, ultimately,” Borgsmiller told AIN. “If we can get to where we’re effectively using our hangar during hours when people can be expected to be awake seven days a week, then I think we’re in a good spot.”

To help fill its ranks, the company has partnered with a local community college to establish an aircraft maintenance technician program, which has already paid dividends, with six newly minted airframe and powerplant graduates joining ACI’s staff and a seventh on the way. Each new hire is assigned to a mentor for their first three months. “We want to encourage good habits, and we want to teach good habits,” said Garner. “We want to make sure that people are understanding what they’re doing on the floor every day.”

Despite a “minimal” turnover rate, like most in the aircraft maintenance arena, retaining its talent is a key concern for ACI. “I think treating people well is probably the best thing you can do,” explained Borgsmiller. “You have to pay a fair wage, but at the end of the day, that’s not what usually makes the difference.” The company runs internal surveys and holds quarterly open town hall meetings where no topic is off limits, so employees can express their concerns.

And unusually among its worker benefits is an employee flying club, with each employee receiving a monthly budget for subsidized flying. “The goal is to get everyone up in the air, and not just to learn how to fly, but also to essentially become customers themselves,” said John Tucker, the company’s director of marketing and communications. “They understand the importance of a well-functioning airplane and to trust your maintenance providers, so there’s kind of a dual benefit there.”