Essendon Fields Airport welcomes Bombardier to cement its position as Australia’s Home of Business Aviation

In a major coup for Melbourne, Essendon Fields Airport has been chosen by Bombardier, the world’s leading manufacturer of business aircraft, as the location for its new Australian jet maintenance, repair and overhaul centre.

The state-of-the-art customer service centre will be the only facility to exclusively service Bombardier aircraft in Australia, servicing jets from across the region in a major boost to the Australian aviation industry. At least 50 highly skilled permanent new jobs will be created as ongoing employment opportunities within the centre, with many more jobs created during the construction phase.

The 4,700 square meter hangar and Fixed Base Operation (FBO) facility was designed by Bruce Henderson Architects, and will include a luxury lounge for aircraft owners, guests, pilots and crew, as well as meeting rooms for use while jets are serviced.

The maintenance hangar has been designed to enable two Global 7500 aircraft (the largest and newest corporate aircraft in Bombardier’s range) to be parked side by side during servicing, assisted by a five-tonne gantry crane.

The facility is expected to attract business aircraft from all around the world to Melbourne and will accommodate the latest and most advanced corporate jet aircraft to be maintained at Essendon Fields, including the new Global 7500. Bombardier’s next closest MRO facility is located in Singapore.

“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’’ Mr Pihan said.

Bombardier Aviation focus on passenger comfort, energy efficiency, reliability and safety. Their business aircraft are quieter, faster, and offer the smoothest rides in business aviation today. Importantly for the Australian market, they also offer the longest range, making them ideal for the Asia-Pacific region.

Jean-Christophe Gallagher, Executive Vice President, Services and Support, and Corporate Strategy, Bombardier Aviation welcomed this exciting development in Australia.

“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,” he said.

“By adding more specialised know how and greater capacity to support more aircraft in this key location, we are proving our customers even more reasons to bring their jets home,” Mr Jean-Christophe Gallagher said.

Construction of the new Bombardier facility at Essendon Fields is being undertaken by Rescom and will commence in November, with completion in 2022.