Story ID: 
Zimex brings FBO excellence to Europe
By: Thomas Stocker
Caption: In its renewed premises at Zurich Airport, Zimex offers executive handling services, as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul for various types of aircr
Word Count: 333
In its renewed premises at Zurich Airport, Zimex offers executive handling services, as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul for various types of aircraft, from the Cessna Caravan and de Havilland Twin Otter up to the Hawker 800, Learjet 45 and Falcon 2000. The company has airframe, engine and avionics shops and is JAR 145 certified as well as being a recognized FAA repair station. Zimex last month inaugurated a new office building with close to 22,000 sq ft of floor space. Having been active in maintenance at Zurich Airport for many years, the company also took over the executive handling business from Signature last October, after the U.S. company’s discreet withdrawal, and is now benefiting from the synergies generated between these two operations. Executive handling services offered are of the highest standards and include lounges for passengers and crew, showers and quiet rooms, as well as catering.However, Zimex’s basic business has traditionally been–and still is–transportation of key personnel to remote sites in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. For these services the company does not use executive twinjets with plush interiors, but rugged aircraft like the Pilatus Porter or the de Havilland Twin Otter, capable of landing on rough strips near oil-drilling sites, mine pits, large building projects and so on.These missions are most often limited in time to the duration of a given project, with Zimex supplying aircraft and crews as needed. Medevac, high-priority cargo, food supplies and even rescue missions are also within the company’s scope. In addition to Porters and Twin Otters, Zimex currently operates a Beechcraft Super King Air 200 and two Cessna Caravan Amphibians. In the past, the company has operated aircraft as large as Boeing 707s and C-130 transports.From Zimex’s two legs, remote operations in Africa and Asia currently generate 60 percent of the company’s income, while 40 percent of sales are attributable to maintenance and handling in Zurich–but the company considers that its Zurich operation is still in the build-up phase.