NEW DELHI: Bombardier Aviation has announced the development of a new service centre at Essendon Fields Airport in Melbourne, Australia, building on its commitment to the Australian market and establishing the next key building block in its growing global customer support network.
The new OEM-operated Melbourne Service Centre will employ some 50 people, including more than 40 highly skilled technicians and boost Bombardier’s customer service footprint in the Asia-Pacific region by some 50,000 square feet.
Australia is a key market for Bombardier. With more than half of the 168-aircraft strong Australian business fleet made up of Bombardier aircraft, this new facility will serve as an important gateway to Asia-Pacific, serving as a key focal point for customers in the region and for future growth prospects of the Bombardier fleet.
“We are thrilled with the addition of the new Melbourne Service Centre, which further builds on Bombardier’s commitment to Australia and the Asia-Pacific region,” said Jean-Christophe Gallagher, Executive Vice President, Services and Support, and Corporate Strategy, Bombardier Aviation.
“By adding more specialized know-how and greater capacity to support more aircraft in this key location, we are providing our customers even more reasons to bring their jets home,” added Gallagher.
“This is a tremendous outcome for Melbourne, and it solidifies Essendon Fields as the home of corporate jets in Australia. Essendon Fields will now attract a sizeable proportion of all Bombardier aircraft in the region to Victoria for aircraft service and maintenance,’’ said Brendan Pihan, CEO of Essendon Fields.
“This is a long-term commitment, by both parties. With this announcement, we demonstrate a strong commitment to the future of aviation at Essendon Fields,” added Pihan.
The new facility will provide customers with a variety of service options including scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, modifications, avionics installations and AOG support for Learjet, Challenger and Global aircraft. It will also have the capacity to service two Global 7500 aircraft – Bombardier’s exquisite, industry-defining flagship aircraft, at one time.
The new service centre will also boast a 4,000 sq. ft. parts depot. Construction is set to begin this year, with the facility slated to be operational in 2022.
Corey Trudgen, the former General Manager of the Biggin Hill Service Centre, will assume the same role at the new facility in Melbourne. Corey brings more than 25-years experience in aviation, and is, in many ways returning to his roots. He started his aviation career as an aircraft technician in the Royal Australian Navy and moved to a number of increasing roles of responsibility in the airline industry. Corey joined Bombardier in 2015 as a Field Service Representative, and quickly moved to leading the Biggin Hill Service Centre as General Manager since 2018.
Corey’s careful leadership and the development of the new facility also underscores the company’s steadfast commitment to the community, including creating a solid pipeline for the creation of future aerospace jobs in the region. The Victoria Government has supported Bombardier’s development of the new facility and its growth plan.
“The Victorian Government is proud to be supporting Bombardier to grow its footprint here in Melbourne, creating more than 50 jobs,” said Martin Pakula, Victorian Minister for Industry Support and Recovery.
“This is a regionally-significant development and one that cements Victoria as a major player in Asia-Pacific aviation,” added Pakula.
This announcement is the latest infrastructure investment aimed at enhancing Bombardier’s worldwide customer service network. Recent announcements include the planned future establishment of a wholly-owned service centre in Berlin; the construction of a new, state-of-the-art service centre at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport; the ongoing expansion of the Biggin Hill service centre in London; the major expansion of our Singapore service centre at the Seletar Aerospace Park; new Line Maintenance Stations (LMS) at strategic locations in the U.S, Europe; as well as new products and services for customers, including the next steps in Bombardier’s digital transformation.
