King Aerospace Grows VVIP Interior Refurbishment Services

June 20, 2023

Clients who select King Aerospace to paint or maintain their VVIP aircraft increasingly choose to also refresh the aircraft cabin with new seats, carpeting and other interior surfaces during their service visit.

“Very few companies are approved to service VVIP aircraft,” says Keith Weaver, vice president for business development. “These customers know King Aerospace has the knowledge to not only maintain their aircraft, but also to perform these important upgrades that add greater usability, comfort and value.”

Maintenance often requires removing cabin seats, carpeting and interior paneling, Weaver continued, which offers a natural opportunity to swap in new equipment.

“We have earned our reputation to perform cabin upgrades on time and on-budget while also protecting other interior elements,” he says. “Customers know they will receive their aircraft in even better shape than it arrived, with no sign anything was ever disturbed.”

Director of Sales Boyd Hunsaker notes customers often ask King Aerospace to overhaul cabin furnishings that came when the aircraft was originally delivered. “They will ask us to replace seats or divans that may look a little tired or threadbare,” he says. “Maybe the leather’s worn out, or they just want a different look.”

As befitting such custom, individualized services, the process cannot be rushed. For large VVIP aircraft like the Boeing Business Jet, the customer may even enlist a professional designer to help them determine the exact look they want.

“Sometimes the client will already have someone in mind, maybe a designer who’s helped them in the past with their home or office,” Hunsaker says. “Or, we can bring in a dedicated team to work with the principle in our design studio.

“Once we determine the direction they want, we assist the designer in presenting 3-4 options to the client,” he continues. “From those design options, the client will narrow those concepts down to one final package.”

The design and selection process may sometimes stretch over several months, and may also include fitting new cabin avionics, IFE and connectivity upgrades. Once the customer has selected their new interior treatment, it’s time to order all the necessary equipment.

“Once we receive the new carpeting, wall panels and seating materials, often they will also require treatment for flame-resistance to be suitable for aviation use,” Hunsaker notes. “That adds a few more weeks to the process.”

For that reason, Hunsaker recommends owners budget at least six months lead time before bringing their aircraft to King Aerospace so that all the necessary components are ready for installation to minimize downtime.

Efficient scheduling for such a complex process and coordinating interior refurbishment with other services also being performed on the aircraft, help set King Aerospace apart from the competition.

“Our customers are our best advocates,” Weaver says. “The VVIP owner community is very exclusive, and new clients tell us King Aerospace came highly acclaimed for our work on these aircraft.”

The King Aerospace teams in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas are ready to handle whatever the client may want. “We’ve continually grown our BBJ and VVIP aircraft business over the past 10 years,” Weaver says. “We do a lot of paintwork and maintenance, and we’re seeing increases in avionics upgrades as well.

“Interior refurbishment is another value-added service we proudly offer,” he concludes. “We have people who are really good at it and who have been doing this work for several years.”