Jet Aviation Basel Completes BBJ Winglet Upgrade
The General Dynamics subsidiary is eager to do more of them.
Jet Aviation’s maintenance facility in Basel, Switzerland, has completed its first retrofit of split-scimitar winglets (SSW) on a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ). The project, completed under an European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)-approved supplemental type certificate, involved installing a new Aviation Partners scimitar-tipped ventral strake, reinforcing the internal wing and winglet structure, and replacing the existing winglet tips with new aerodynamically shaped scimitar tips. Currently installed on all factory-new Boeing 737 NG BBJs, the split-scimiter winglet is FAA and EASA approved for reetrofit on all in-service BBJs, BBJ2s, and BBJ3s.
“We have been working closely with personnel from Aviation Partners to gain experience and proficiency with the SSW retrofit to ensure we meet customer requirements and the highest business aviation standards,” said Neil Boyce, Jet Aviation’s senior vice president and general operations manager at the Basel location. "We look forward to supporting more Boeing aircraft owners and operators with SSW retrofits, whether in conjunction with routine maintenance, an interior refurbishment, a green completion, or as a standalone installation.”