Features MRO
Flexjet purchases Flying Colours

Flexjet Inc. on August 2 announced that Flying Colours Corp., a preeminent aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) company, is joining the Flexjet family of companies. The purchase expands Flexjet’s support network to now hold facilities in the United States, Canada and Europe supporting its growing fleet.

Flexjet, a member of the Directional Aviation family of companies, first entered the fractional jet ownership market in 1995. The company’s fleet is comprised of the Embraer Phenom 300 and Praetor 500 and 600, Bombardier Challenger 350 and 3500, and the Gulfstream G450 and G650. Flexjet’s European fleet includes the Embraer Praetor 600 and the Gulfstream G650.

Flexjet’s helicopter division sells fractional, lease, and on-demand charter access to its fleet of owned, operated and maintained Sikorsky S-76 helicopters which hold 55,000 hours of safe flying certified by Wyvern and ARG/US and serving locations throughout the northeastern United States, United Kingdom, and southern Florida.

“Bringing the capabilities of Constant Aviation, which Flexjet bought earlier this year, and now Flying Colours in-house enables us to ensure both the highest possible service quality and the maximum availability of aircraft for our Owners,” said Flexjet Chairman, Kenn Ricci. “Unlike other companies in our space that rely on third-party providers for their MRO needs, Flexjet now fully controls its maintenance and product support needs, and this aligns with our strategic vision of differentiating ourselves from the competition at every level and in every way.”

Flying Colours, headquartered in Peterborough, Ontario, provides a full range of MRO services, as well as additional capabilities specifically focused on aircraft interior completions and refurbishments, as well as custom aircraft painting. The operation recently opened paint and completions hangars at its facility at Peterborough Airport and Flying Colours’ primary 40,000-square-foot paint hangar can handle any size business aircraft as well as airliner category aircraft (with a secondary facility that can handle any Gulfstream aircraft up to a G650). At 61,000 square feet, the new completions hangar is among the industry’s largest, enabling Flying Colours to handle multiple aircraft simultaneously.

“One of the qualities most associated with Flexjet is our superior cabin experience, as exemplified by the more than 40 unique interiors in our LXi Cabin Collection,” said Jay Heublein, Flexjet Senior Vice President of Maintenance. “Flying Colours is renowned for the excellence of its paint and completion work, and this ensures that the interiors of our aircraft meet the world’s highest standards.”

Flexjet’s global maintenance facility footprint now includes 12 primary maintenance facilities and 30 geographically strategic AOG teams to provide field support to the fleet. This includes the new Flying Colours facilities at Peterborough Airport and at Spirit of St. Louis Airport (located west of St. Louis, Missouri).

“Flying Colours’ relationship with Flexjet spans decades and we are looking forward to joining the Flexjet family,” said John Gillespie, president and CEO, Flying Colours. “Our culture and focus on quality aligns perfectly and we look forward to expanding on a vision that is unlike anything I have seen before in business aviation.”

Upon completion of the transaction, Gillespie will take a lead role overseeing completions strategy within the global Flexjet network. Approximately 250 Flying Colours team members will join Flexjet.