Fairchild Dornier -- Big Exhibit, Bigger Plans

Fairchild Dornier is putting into place, an organization strong in Corporate Support background (as an example, I have served as the Customer Support Director of two leading Corporate aircraft manufacturers prior to joining Fairchild Dornier). The company knows it must serve its Corporate customers differently than it does airlines, and has plans to grow this segment of its support organization to match the pace of Envoy and Shuttle sales. Senior management at the company headquarters in Oberpfaffenhofen have placed great emphasis on the company expanding its corporate operator support capabilities and being ready when the Envoy 7 rolls off the line. Customer Support is clearly defined as a high priority for the company, with key executives supporting our internal efforts to remain at the top in our customers eyes.

Fairchild Dornier plans to be one of the 'biggest' exhibitors at this year's NBAA Convention. The company -- newly renamed from its previous title Fairchild Aerospace -- will be making the most of the spacious cabins offered by its two dedicated corporate jets, the Envoy 3 and the Envoy 7.

The Envoy 3 is based on the proven and popular Fairchild Dornier 328JET regional airliner. A Corporate Shuttle version of the 328JET has already been developed, but it does not feature the custom-designed interior of the Envoy 3. The larger Envoy 7 is a derivative of the 728JET airliner, which is currently under development.

For the first time Fairchild Dornier has an airplane at NBAA -- a 328JET that has been completed at the company's service center in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. It features executive-style seating and cabinetry, a flat floor, and shows off the wide cabin benefits of the 328 airframe.

Inside the Convention Center the exhibit is built around full-size cabin mockups of the two Envoys. This is the same display that made such an impression at last year's Convention in Atlanta. Attendees can walk though the cabins and experience the unique point that Fairchild Dornier sees as separating the Envoy family from the rest of the pack-sheer spaciousness. The Envoy 7, in particular, has proved to be popular, with its full conference table, meeting areas, and sleeping suite with queen bed and shower.

Away from the details of its product line, the company will be focusing on customer support. Wolf Herholz, Fairchild Dornier's senior VP for customer support, and other top people in that field, will meet with current and future customers to discuss the many efforts under way to strengthen the customer support group.

Up to now, all completion activity has been accomplished at Fairchild Dornier's own facilities in Germany to wide customer acclaim. In anticipation of the increased workloads stemming from Envoy 3, Envoy 7 and 328 Corporate Shuttle sales, the company has been negotiating with completion centers on both sides of the Atlantic to handle the added work. Discussions have centered on Garrett, for support for the USA market, and Lufthansa Tecknik as the completion and support center for Envoy customers in Europe and the Middle East. A final announcement is expected at NBAA.

One noteworthy aspect of Fairchild Dornier's customer support effort is emphasis on meeting the needs of its future corporate users, which it sees as very different from those of its airline customers. Herholz and his group say they have some interesting plans carefully tailored to the corporate customer's requirements. Fairchild Dornier is also always keen to point out that the Envoy 3 and Envoy 7 are based on airliner airframes, and that means airliner reliability comes as standard.

Another item on the NBAA agenda will be discussions with customers about the unique quick-change interior for the 328JET Corporate Shuttle. Already in operation, this interior can be transformed from a 32-seater into a 16-seat VIP aircraft in a matter of four hours, giving any corporate flight department extreme flexibility in meeting demands.

While Fairchild Dornier does not expect to announce any major new orders at this year's NBAA Convention, New Orleans is viewed as an opportunity to impress customers with the company's resolve on the product support and maintenance areas.

By Rob Hewson