Innotech Named Citation X Service Center

Innotech-Execaire's Toronto base has been named Citation X authorized service station for Canada by Cessna Aircraft. The company already has service center authorization for all other Citation-series aircraft at its Vancouver base, and at its new 180,000-square-foot Montreal facility, which is the company headquarters.

"This appointment comes at an exciting point in the history of both our companies, and particularly for the Innotech-Execaire Aviation Group," said Dave Miller, executive VP and COO. "It comes at a time when we have sold the first Citation X aircraft into Canada and sets a precedent for the first official service station appointment in this country. The world fleet of Citations, as of today, has total service capability in Canada," he said.

The company also recently was awarded a three-year contract worth between $3 million and $5 million to provide maintenance and ground-support services for Nav Canada's two Challenger 601s and one de Havilland Dash 8 flight-inspection aircraft. The aircraft will be based at Innotech-Execaire's new Shell Aerocentre FBO facility in Ottawa.

"This contract is a turning point in the future of our newly acquired Ottawa base, as it now will provide maintenance and overhaul service similar to our facilities in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. It is a great leap forward," Miller said. Nav Canada is a newly privatized non-share capital company that provides the nation's civil air navigation and air traffic control services.

In another new development, Innotech-Execaire and Rolls-Royce Canada have an agreement allowing them to cooperate on marketing opportunities involving aircraft equipped with Rolls-Royce engines-including the Spey, Tay, AE3007C and BMW-Rolls BR710. The agreement calls for quick turn times on removal and installation on aircraft including the entire Gulfstream jet series and Bombardier's Global Express. Innotech-Execaire will provide engine removal and replacement facilities, AOG troubleshooting and 24-hour service technician availability in both Montreal and Vancouver.

The company says it's is hiring and training an additional 135 technicians in addition to the 130 already hired since the first of the year at the Montreal base. The training program-valued at $2.4 million over four years-will bring Innotech-Execaire employment to 450 in Montreal. The program will develop skilled employees in sheet metal, upholstery, cabinet making, avionics, engineering and program and general management. The company will receive training funds from the Province of Quebec's Ministry of Science and Technology.

Innotech-Execaire is taking the initiative because of high demand for skilled people throughout the industry, but particularly in Montreal, Miller said. "Since we sold our interior completion facility to Bombardier two years ago and built our new maintenance and refurb center to re-establish our presence in the marketplace, our prime focus has been to build up our interior refurb and maintenance capability and staff to levels equal to what we had," he said.

By Arnold Lewis