Textron Aviation has announced plans to expand its presence in Australia with the construction of a new service facility at Essendon Fields Airport in Melbourne.
The new facility is designed to enhance support for Cessna, Beechcraft, and Hawker customers in the region by increasing service capacity and improving scheduling efficiency to minimize aircraft downtime.
Construction is scheduled to begin in March 2025, with operations expected to commence in early 2026.
As a subsidiary of Textron Inc (NYSE: TXT), Textron Aviation provides factory-direct support, maintenance, and modifications for Beechcraft, Cessna, and Hawker aircraft through its global network of service centres, mobile service units, and 24/7 aircraft-on-ground (AOG) support via its 1CALL service.
The new Essendon Fields facility will more than double the size of the company’s current operations, expanding to over 35,000 square feet (3,343 square meters).
Based on customer feedback, the facility will be located in a more central area of the airport and will include a dedicated Textron Aviation parts stockroom to expedite shipping.
Additionally, the new facility will feature an upgraded customer lounge to enhance the experience for clients while their aircraft are being serviced.
Brian Rohloff, Textron Aviation’s senior vice president of Global Customer Support, emphasized the company’s commitment to providing reliable maintenance and service solutions for aircraft owners in the Asia-Pacific region.
“Building this new facility to support the more than 1,400 aircraft operating in the APAC region demonstrates our commitment to providing the strongest combination of factory-direct maintenance and service solutions available for our customers,” Rohloff said.
“This investment will grow our capacity and help us to better assist customers with scheduled maintenance, modifications, and aircraft-on-ground support.”
The announcement follows Textron Aviation’s expansion efforts in Australia, including the relocation of its Perth service centre to a larger, modernized facility at Jandakot Airport in June 2024.
Additionally, the company has established a parts warehouse at Essendon Fields Airport to improve parts availability and enhance service efficiency in the region.
As part of its ongoing integration strategy, Textron Aviation has rebranded Premiair Aviation Maintenance—an Australian service centre acquired in 2020—as Textron Aviation Australia Pty Ltd.
This change aligns the company’s Perth, Gold Coast, and Melbourne facilities within its global service network, further strengthening its operational capabilities in Australia.
