This year marks the 30th anniversary of ExecuJet MRO Services, a business that has prospered by working with a range of aircraft manufacturers and seen continuous growth. It has established maintenance businesses around the world and has become one of the most well-known and respected brands in business aviation.
Over the years, ExecuJet has expanded its MRO capability to provide professional and quality services for local market needs and has played an integral part in introducing many new aircraft types into the region.
Its locations in South Africa’s Lanseria Airport and Nigeria’s Murtala Mohammed International Airport offer a comprehensive range of services encompassing corporate aircraft charter, aircraft management, fixed base operations and full concierge services. The newly built Nigerian facility offers fixed base operations and aircraft maintenance services.
Besides South Africa, the company has maintenance bases in Australia, Belgium, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, it has a franchisee in China that operates under the ExecuJet MRO Services brand.
Strategy
ExecuJet started in 1991 in South Africa at Johannesburg’s Lanseria International Airport, where it is still headquartered today.
ExecuJet MRO Services President and Founder, Graeme Duckworth, has been with the company since ‘day one’ and seen it expand beyond South Africa to be a leading global player. “The company’s strategy has always been to go into developing, under-served markets and create a world-class MRO business,” says Duckworth, adding that OEMs have been supportive and integral to ExecuJet’s success.
Duckworth says another reason ExecuJet was able to create a strong global network of MRO companies, is because it has a strong company culture.
“We have taken trusted and proven talent, who were developed internally, and provided them with opportunities to further develop their careers. This is how we developed a strong company culture and a cohesive international network providing our business aircraft customers with consistently high levels of service,” said Duckworth. He says the company values include, amongst others, integrity, honesty and customer service.
Continuous Growth and Strong Parnerships
Since 2010, ExecuJet has been an Authorised Service Centre (ASC) for Embraer aircraft and is now Falcon Authorised, being wholly owned by Dassault Aviation as of March 2019which has invested in ExecuJet’s expansion. ExecuJet has allowed Dassault Aviation to offer factory service in new areas, including the Asia/Pacific and Middle East regions.
In addition, the company is an ASC for Honeywell, Rolls Royce and GE Engines and is also certified to work on most other business jet aircraft types, including various models of Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker aircraft.
After South Africa, ExecuJet expanded into the Middle East, where Regional VP Nick Weber helped establish the operation 20 years ago and continues to head the business. Weber says when ExecuJet entered the Middle East, the business aviation market there was under-developed. He says ExecuJet worked hard to develop the market, which today is a vibrant region for business aviation.
By Victor Odhiambo
