Story ID: 009CompletionsAINMarch14EditedByAY_NM
Dutch Firms Team on Refurbishments
By: James Wynbrandt
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Word Count: 265
Seeking to build on synergies in the nautical and aeronautical fields, four Dutch companies specializing in interiors for business jets and superyachts are partnering to offer one-stop shopping for aircraft interior design and refurbishments. In early January MRO provider JetSupport, cabineteer Struik & Hamerslag Aviation, interior architects Wetzels Brown Partners and upholsterer Zijlstra International Decoration signed a letter of intent to formalize their collaborative relationship.
  
“The Netherlands has long been a leader in building yachts, and the shipyards are well known by the same owners of aircraft we maintain,” said Ton van Deursen, director of JetSupport, which spearheaded the alliance. 
  
Noting that aviation and yachting interiors share many installation practices, materials and regulatory requirements, van Deursen said Amsterdam-based JetSupport conducted an “intense search to select those companies which most closely adhere to the standards of quality we’re looking for in refurbishing aircraft.” 
  
The group comes to market with “a new concept” in the fabrication and installation of interior veneers, developed by Strijen-based Struik & Hamerslag, which requires about one-third the downtime of traditional veneer installations, van Deursen said. Using precise interior measurements, designers can create plans and begin fabricating the veneers for customer approval before the aircraft arrives for refurbishment. The process will enable installation of a new interior while an aircraft is undergoing a three- or four-week C check, according to van Deursen. 
  
The veneer process was used recently in refurbishing the interior of a Cessna Citation Excel, and JetSupport expects to receive EASA Part 21 approval for the process in the second quarter.