How Much Do You Value Your Aircraft Interior Completion?

Few processes are more challenging than the interior completion of large-cabin business aircraft. Because of the cost and time involved, it is vitally important for aircraft owners to properly manage the work on their aircraft, particularly for those located a continent or two away from the manufacturer’s completion centres in North America.

Owners can choose to have their aircraft outfitted with a choice of standard interiors by the manufacturer, but most buyers of large-cabin jets typically want to customise their cabins with designs and features similar to what they are used to enjoying in their homes and offices. While the manufacturer can often accommodate these requests, many buyers prefer to contract with an independent interior completion manager to oversee the design, build and installation processes.

Such management is particularly critical when working with sophisticated and complex large-cabin business aircraft such as Bombardier’s Global Express and Challenger aircraft, Gulfstream’s G550 and G450, and others. New aircraft typically cost US$40-50 million or more to purchase, including about $8-10 million to design and outfit the cabin interior. That same cost range can also apply to the refurbishing or interior renovation of a pre-owned aircraft.

A project of that scope may take six months to more than a year to complete, and require daily supervision and quality control management throughout the process, beginning as early as possible. Successfully managing a business aircraft through its completion is undoubtedly one of the most challenging experiences for a flight department and should not be treated as a part-time endeavour.

As a result, many aircraft owners will supplement the expertise of the manufacturer’s completion centre with a separate completion manager to make sure the process goes smoothly. While the interior-completion work on large-cabin business jets cost millions of dollars, a higher-end manager’s fee may run from about $200,000 to more than $300,000 depending upon how much oversight the owner feels comfortable with for their project.

Details are essential

Managing a large completion project requires specialised knowledge and extraordinary attention to detail, which should not be underestimated. The completion manager’s responsibility is to act as an insurance policy for the owner, and avoid costly and time-consuming rework. It is their job to ensure that the completed aircraft is delivered on budget and that the final product meets or exceeds the agreed to specifications between the owner and completion centre.

Beginning with the initial definition of the aircraft floorplan and specification documents, the completion manager will identify the tasks required for a successful completion, recommend additional ones, and then apply the necessary resources and talent to ensure that all of the tasks are properly accomplished. Ideally, the ‘manager’ will be a team of three people at a minimum, including one to monitor the entire project, another specialising in design and optional equipment, and a third to address technical and certification issues. They will cover everything from the fit of a galley drawer, to the proper functioning of the satellite communications system for the owner, to the accurate application of the exterior paint design.

A sophisticated completion management firm will also offer a web-based program to track every aspect of the project in real-time with comprehensive reports and photographs, so the owner can follow the progress and quickly make critical decisions. Taking a proactive approach toward the interior completion is much more efficient and economical than being reactive with the manufacturer’s completion centre. And in the end, everybody wins.

So, before you begin your first or next aircraft project, consider the value to your business of a timely and cost efficient interior completion and weigh the use of an experienced, multi-disciplined completion manager to achieve your goals.

Kevin Hoffman founded Aerospace Concepts in 1998 following a distinguished career with Bombardier Aerospace where he led conceptual aircraft design for the Advanced Design Group, resulting in the development of the Global Express business jet, and was subsequently appointed Program Director.