MAINTENANCE • AUTUMN BOTTLENECK
Beating the Bottleneck
Beating the autumn bottleneck for business jet maintenance takes planning and decisive action, according to experts. We seek advice from Desert Jet, Elevate, Jet Access and JSSI. Words: Rob Hodgetts, Yves Le Marquand and Mike Stones
Desert Jet Maintenance is Coachella Valley’s only locally based FAA certified Part 145 repair station.
MAINTENANCE
Beating the Bottleneck
Beating the autumn bottleneck for business jet maintenance takes planning and decisive action, according to experts. We seek advice from Desert Jet, Elevate, Jet Access and JSSI. Words: Rob Hodgetts, Yves Le Marquand and Mike Stones
AUTUMN BOTTLENECK
Desert Jet Maintenance is Coachella Valley’s only locally based FAA certified Part 145 repair station.
IT IS CHRISTMAS EVE, and the only gift you have ready is a re-gift from last year’s Secret Santa. The chaos, queues and empty shelves beckon. You ask yourself: Why did I not do this earlier?
A similar thing happens in business aviation every year, only it begins a little earlier. Once a seasonal inconvenience, post-Covid pandemic, the fourth quarter (Q4) maintenance bottleneck has become increasingly severe, driven by an ageing fleet, higher utilisation, a lack of staff and a constrained supply chain.
These problems persist all year round, but by the time Q4 arrives owners and operators find themselves competing for shop space, staff and high demand for parts — all while under the pressure of year-end deadlines such as bonus depreciation.
Desert CEO Jared Fox points to growing pre-owned aircraft sales as a key contributor, with each transaction creating further inspections, upgrades and refurbishments. Older jets also require more attention, and some parts are harder to source. Also with first-time owners flying more than expected, inspection intervals are becoming more frequent, leaving MROs and OEM service centres working very hard to keep pace.
According to Francisco Zozaya, chief commercial officer, JSSI, aircraft and engine models that are no longer in production are experiencing the longest lead times for parts. In some cases, manufacturers have ceased support for these platforms, and certain components are no longer being produced.
But there are remedies. You just have to remember them next year.
Desert Jet: Beating a rising tide
THE AUTUMN maintenance rush is an intensifying problem and it’s not difficult to understand why, according to Desert Jet Maintenance of Thermal, California.
“The maintenance bottleneck has clearly worsened in recent years with the surge in pre-owned transactions,” Jared Fox, CEO Desert Jet tells CJI. “Each sale typically requires a pre-purchase inspection, upgrades, cabin refurbishments, and catch-up maintenance – keeping aircraft grounded longer and tying up shop capacity.”
Also, business jet fleets have grown to include older models, with many legacy aircraft demanding more labour-intensive work and harder-to-source parts, he adds.
At the same time, first-time owners are flying more hours than expected, accelerating inspection intervals, while maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) and OEM service centre capacity has not scaled at the same pace.
There’s even more to add to this toxic combination of delay and disruption to business jet maintenance in the fourth quarter of the year. “The return of bonus depreciation has added another year-end rush for PPI [pre-purchase inspections], further clogging hangars and technician schedules,” says Fox. “Together, these factors have compounded the strain, making today's maintenance backlog more severe than in prior years.”
The consequences of this disruption are all too evident. Routinely the bottleneck adds weeks long delays to the Q4 maintenance plans. Scheduled inspections become harder to book on short notice as demand spikes toward year-end. Even routine checks can take longer due to capacity strain. The problems are further compounded by increased AOG (aircraft-on-ground) events.
Desert Jet highlights supporting data, from Verified Market Research, which confirms the strain placed on MRO services. The business jet MRO market is projected to grow from $4.8bn last year to $7.8bn by 2032, reflecting accelerating demand from an ageing fleet and higher utilisation.
Set against this, 42% of maintenance providers report technician shortages. This foments a structural constraint that continues to extend turnaround and lead times during peak seasons, making the Q4 backlog a persistent challenge for operators.
So, what are the remedies? Valente Camarillo, general manager, Desert Jet Maintenance advises: “Avoiding the Q4 bottleneck requires proactive planning. Book major inspections six to 12 months in advance, ideally in summer or early fall – especially in locations with seasonal availability, such as Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport in Thermal [KTRM], where summer capacity often makes it easier to secure slots before the Q4 rush.”
Shift the timing of major work to schedule in summer or early autumn is another way to beat the December bottlenecks. “Coordinate downtime, align maintenance with low-utiliation periods and stagger work to minimise disruption,” says Carmarillo. He also suggests using pre-stage parts by working with providers to order long-lead items and rotable spares which help to prevent delays.
Predictive tracking tools to forecast inspections months ahead are another way to avoid maintenance backlogs.
Perhaps, like many things in any business, its personal relationships that count. “So, build strong relationships with MROs and OEM service centres,” says Carmarillo. “Preferred customers often get priority. Stay flexible by considering mobile teams or reputable non-OEM shops for specific work.”
Unfortunately, the Q4 backlog is more likely to intensify than to ease in the years ahead, according to Desert Jet. It expects the growing and ageing global business jet fleet, coupled with robust pre-owned sales, will drive higher maintenance demand.
“OEMs are expected to continue pushing deliveries late in the year, adding further strain on MROs,” says Fox. “At the same time, technician shortages remain a structural challenge – without industry-wide action, capacity growth will lag behind demand. While digital tracking and predictive scheduling may help smooth some spikes, the net effect is clear: unless significant new capacity is created, Q4 congestion will persist or worsen in the years ahead.”
Having sold its charter business in 2024, Desert Jet has experienced both sides of the Q4 bottleneck. All the more reason to follow its advice on how to beat it.
JSSI supports 30% of the world’s business jets and manages 10,000-plus maintenance events every year.
Large firms often work with a global network of certified, independent MRO facilities.
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Jet Access: In praise of education
“IT WILL GET worse before it gets better”. That is the assessment from Scott Dillon, president of Jet Access Maintenance about the annual fourth quarter (Q4) backlog in business jet maintenance facilities. While the schedule pile-up “really hits hard” in the final quarter, he believes education and planning can mitigate the problem.
Contributing factors, according to Dillon, include: increasing numbers of aircraft and typical delivery dates from manufacturers such Embraer – which delivered 130 aircraft in 2024 with 44 of those in the final quarter – leading to a raft of regular inspection dates, a rush of pre-buy requirements before year end and a lack of planning and scheduling from clients. The increasingly problematic shortage of experienced technicians only exacerbates the problem.
“Q4 is the quarter that is always that way. It's always packed,” says Dillon. “And it's grown worse over recent years. I don't remember it being that way 10 years ago.”
Jet Access, based in Indianapolis, operates four maintenance and repair facilities. Two are in Indianapolis, one in Nashville, Tennessee and one in West Palm Beach, Florida catering for a wide range of aircraft.
Large inspection packages are what the company thrives on, says Dillon.
“On Embraers, it's the 10-year inspection,” he says. “The thing gets completely stripped down to the airframe and full interior removal, instrument panel removal. You're removing and replacing a lot of flight control cables.
“The landing gear gets overhauled at that time. And it's a $400,000 inspection or north of there. So that is also a good time for us to look at doing some interior refurbishments.”
Pre-purchase inspections make up about 15% of Jet Access’ maintenance business and is a significant contributor to the Q4 congestion, says Dillon.
This year’s return of 100% bonus depreciation brought in by the Trump administration will send the aircraft sales market into “overdrive” before the end of the year, he adds, heaping further pressure on the maintenance facilities as clients look to secure PPIs and complete deals.
Upgrades and installation of onboard connectivity systems is another area that is taking up considerable capacity, particularly in light of Gogo’s move to a 5G network, set for May 2026.
“There is going to be a huge backlog of Wi-Fi installations needed in the US, in particular when those old ATG systems are shut down because people still aren't getting them replaced fast enough,” adds Dillon. “So, we're doing a lot of Gogo L3, Avance and L5 systems.”
To guard against maintenance backlogs, Dillon urges owners and operators to get on the schedule as soon as possible.
“It's a little bit of a challenge, but just get out in front of it, get in there early in the year and I don't think you'll have a problem,” he says. “It's just that everybody waits till the last minute and procrastinates.
“The one thing I would say is if you're procrastinating because you don't want to deal with your maintenance shop, maybe you're going to the wrong maintenance shop.”
To tackle the technician shortage, particularly as more experienced staff near retirement, Dillon regularly visits schools to spread the message of jobs in the aviation sector.
“People know about pilot jobs, but never aviation trade jobs. And it is an excellent trade, better than most,” he says. “But I think that's going to take a while to catch up, probably five years at least to dig out of that, maybe closer to 10.”
JSSI has a team of over 100 technical advisors and product line specialists positioned in 80-plus countries.
JSSI has a team of over 100 technical advisors and product line specialists positioned in 80-plus countries.
Jet Access: In praise of education
“IT WILL GET worse before it gets better”. That is the assessment from Scott Dillon, president of Jet Access Maintenance about the annual fourth quarter (Q4) backlog in business jet maintenance facilities. While the schedule pile-up “really hits hard” in the final quarter, he believes education and planning can mitigate the problem.
Contributing factors, according to Dillon, include: increasing numbers of aircraft and typical delivery dates from manufacturers such Embraer – which delivered 130 aircraft in 2024 with 44 of those in the final quarter – leading to a raft of regular inspection dates, a rush of pre-buy requirements before year end and a lack of planning and scheduling from clients. The increasingly problematic shortage of experienced technicians only exacerbates the problem.
“Q4 is the quarter that is always that way. It's always packed,” says Dillon. “And it's grown worse over recent years. I don't remember it being that way 10 years ago.”
Jet Access, based in Indianapolis, operates four maintenance and repair facilities. Two are in Indianapolis, one in Nashville, Tennessee and one in West Palm Beach, Florida catering for a wide range of aircraft.
Large inspection packages are what the company thrives on, says Dillon.
“On Embraers, it's the 10-year inspection,” he says. “The thing gets completely stripped down to the airframe and full interior removal, instrument panel removal. You're removing and replacing a lot of flight control cables.
“The landing gear gets overhauled at that time. And it's a $400,000 inspection or north of there. So that is also a good time for us to look at doing some interior refurbishments.”
Pre-purchase inspections make up about 15% of Jet Access’ maintenance business and is a significant contributor to the Q4 congestion, says Dillon.
This year’s return of 100% bonus depreciation brought in by the Trump administration will send the aircraft sales market into “overdrive” before the end of the year, he adds, heaping further pressure on the maintenance facilities as clients look to secure PPIs and complete deals.
Upgrades and installation of onboard connectivity systems is another area that is taking up considerable capacity, particularly in light of Gogo’s move to a 5G network, set for May 2026.
“There is going to be a huge backlog of Wi-Fi installations needed in the US, in particular when those old ATG systems are shut down because people still aren't getting them replaced fast enough,” adds Dillon. “So, we're doing a lot of Gogo L3, Avance and L5 systems.”
To guard against maintenance backlogs, Dillon urges owners and operators to get on the schedule as soon as possible.
“It's a little bit of a challenge, but just get out in front of it, get in there early in the year and I don't think you'll have a problem,” he says. “It's just that everybody waits till the last minute and procrastinates.
“The one thing I would say is if you're procrastinating because you don't want to deal with your maintenance shop, maybe you're going to the wrong maintenance shop.”
To tackle the technician shortage, particularly as more experienced staff near retirement, Dillon regularly visits schools to spread the message of jobs in the aviation sector.
“People know about pilot jobs, but never aviation trade jobs. And it is an excellent trade, better than most,” he says. “But I think that's going to take a while to catch up, probably five years at least to dig out of that, maybe closer to 10.”
JSSI: Supply chain crunch
ALTHOUGH improved since the dark days of the Covid pandemic, the year-end supply chain crunch is still far from resolved, according to Francisco Zozaya, chief commercial officer at JSSI.
The industry continues to face shortages of critical parts, which is still causing some maintenance events to take three to five times longer than pre-pandemic. This delay also affects rental engine availability: engines remain on-wing longer, reducing the pool of lease assets and, in some cases, forcing operators to ground aircraft.
JSSI offers a range of maintenance services including hourly cost maintenance programmes which offer event oversight, planning and MRO scheduling. Zozaya says JSSI programmes support the “most diverse fleet” in the business aviation industry, covering engines, auxiliary power units (APUs), airframes and “tip-to-tail” solutions.
The company also offers Traxxall software for maintenance tracking, inventory and MRO management. As well as parts sales and exchange services, and a large portfolio of rental engines and APUs.
According to Zozaya, aircraft and engine models that are no longer in production are experiencing the longest lead times for parts. In some cases, manufacturers have ceased support for these platforms, and certain components are no longer being produced. “This can create situations where no rental options are available, further complicating maintenance planning,” he says.
So how can owners and operators mitigate the delays? First and foremost, avoid unnecessary maintenance, says Zozaya. “Avoiding optional or elective inspections like PPIs or full borescope inspections can help prevent unexpected findings that might ground the aircraft for extended periods.”
Scheduling maintenance events as far in advance as possible is also critical. While collaborating closely with a maintenance programme provider allows for proactive solutions, including securing parts and maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) slots ahead of time, adds Zozaya.
The fourth quarter rush typically saturates the ecosystem. With the reinstatement of 100% bonus depreciation in the US, JSSI expects an increase of buyers aiming to close deals before year-end, which can further strain turnaround times.
Strategies to alleviate strain on turnaround times include: advance planning and scheduling, avoiding heavy discretionary PPIs in the fourth quarter and leveraging maintenance programmes.
By taking advantage of these programmes, in particular, owners and operators can reduce the need for invasive checks at time of transaction, as the programme provider assumes risk rather than the new buyer, explains Zozaya. Exploring alternatives, such as component exchanges instead of full overhauls, by working with partners that offer access to rotatable pools, can also offer a solution, he adds.
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Jets MRO: Delays set to ‘intensify’
“COUPLE LABOUR shortages with a high turnover of experienced technicians, and the industry is going to continue to have a challenge to deliver aircraft on time,” says Suresh Narayanan, CEO at Jets MRO.
The Dallas-based MRO provider is FAA certified, specialising in the Bombardier Challenger series, the Learjet range and Cessna Citation jets. But exclusively serving some aircraft lines can prove challenging when sourcing labour with the required expertise to undertake the work required, says Narayana.
“The maintenance bottleneck facing the business aviation industry represents one of the most significant operational challenges we've encountered in recent years,” he explains. “Not only is the shortage an issue, but turnover within the current workforce is not discussed enough which is a big focus for us over the labour shortage.”
Limited maintenance slot availability, extended service times and poor aircraft on ground (AoG) support has combined. Narayana says his data suggests maintenance delays have increased by 30-40% compared with pre-2020 levels, with some operators experiencing wait times of 60-90 days for routine inspections that previously required 30-45 days.
Several factors are converging to create this crisis, says Narayana. The post-pandemic surge in business aviation utilisation has strained maintenance capacity, while at the same time, the industry faces a critical shortage of qualified technicians.
“Many maintenance facilities are operating at reduced capacity due to workforce challenges and are pushing their teams to work more overtime and on-call making the workplace turnover issue even worse,” he adds.
The maintenance bottleneck will likely persist through 2035 as the industry adapts to increased demand and workforce constraints, says Narayana. “However, operators who partner with maintenance providers that have invested in talent and responsive service models will maintain competitive advantages in aircraft availability and operational reliability,” he adds.
So is there any way around the fourth quarter bottleneck? Narayana believes partnering with MRO’s versus continuously shopping on “cost” and “empty promise” is a good place to start.
“Smart operators objectively need to measure us MROs in on-time performance, quality and cost and the industry needs to take a page from the commercial aviation space by using SLAs [service level agreements] and objective evidence in measuring a MRO business,” he says. “Moving aircraft to many different MROs for every event reduces the ability to partner with an MRO while increasing your aircraft reliability and uptime.”
Being wise to this now will pay off because the bottleneck is set to “intensify”, according to Narayana. Coming from the man who founded Jets MRO to navigate times such as these, it seems to be advice worth heeding.
FROM OPERATIONS in California to Indianapolis to global maintenance and parts programmes, the message is clear — capacity, in parts, people and shop space, is being outstripped by demand.
With supply chain constraint set to continue, OEMs delivering more aircraft later in the year and incentives such as bonus depreciation boosting transaction levels, the bottleneck is set to stay, and could well grow tighter. Creating an environment resembling the year end rush for most of the year in some regions.
Yet there is also consensus on the solutions. Planning ahead and getting it done early, from six months to a full year in advance, remains the most effective tool — just like buying gifts early. Scheduling major inspections in summer or early autumn, pre-buying long-lead parts and aligning downtime with periods of lower utilisation can also help.
While predictive tracking can forecast inspection needs months ahead, and maintenance programmes can protect buyers and sellers from some of the transactional disruption that drives Q4 congestion.
The problem is one shared by all, so the solution has to be too. Operators who adapt their planning habits, providers who expand capacity creatively and an industry investing in its workforce all have a role to play. The seasonal maintenance bottleneck looks set to worsen, but it offers an opportunity to build more resilience.
Some say they enjoy the rush and chaos of shopping on December 24th. Even if something is sold out, it will be on offer for less in the January sales. Missing a deadline in business aircraft sales can kill the transaction, leaving a sizeable bill to foot — tax incentives accounted for or not.
FROM OPERATIONS in California to Indianapolis to global maintenance and parts programmes, the message is clear — capacity, in parts, people and shop space, is being outstripped by demand.
With supply chain constraint set to continue, OEMs delivering more aircraft later in the year and incentives such as bonus depreciation boosting transaction levels, the bottleneck is set to stay, and could well grow tighter. Creating an environment resembling the year end rush for most of the year in some regions.
Yet there is also consensus on the solutions. Planning ahead and getting it done early, from six months to a full year in advance, remains the most effective tool — just like buying gifts early. Scheduling major inspections in summer or early autumn, pre-buying long-lead parts and aligning downtime with periods of lower utilisation can also help.
While predictive tracking can forecast inspection needs months ahead, and maintenance programmes can protect buyers and sellers from some of the transactional disruption that drives Q4 congestion.
The problem is one shared by all, so the solution has to be too. Operators who adapt their planning habits, providers who expand capacity creatively and an industry investing in its workforce all have a role to play. The seasonal maintenance bottleneck looks set to worsen, but it offers an opportunity to build more resilience.
Some say they enjoy the rush and chaos of shopping on December 24th. Even if something is sold out, it will be on offer for less in the January sales. Missing a deadline in business aircraft sales can kill the transaction, leaving a sizeable bill to foot — tax incentives accounted for or not.
