JSSI: flight hours up, sales down
Jet Support Services Inc’s customer flight hours are at the highest since the market downturn in 2008 but sales are slightly below expectations.
JSSI completed helicopter deliveries in Europe, North America, Africa and Latin America in the first half of 2017. Deliveries in the Asian market were described as “slow” by Kevin Thomas, senior vice president of business development and strategic planning.
Talking to Helicopter Investor, Thomas said: “Flight hours are at an all-time high since 2008. Customers are flying more than they have been in close to ten years. From this perspective, we are doing very well, well beyond our expectations.
“We had anticipated sales and deliveries to recover but it hasn’t been the case in the first six months. Our lower sales are offset by our incredible flight hours.”
Super medium sweet spot
The medium to heavy helicopter market is one of the largest for JSSI for both sales and services. Thomas reiterated this, saying: “We have done fairly well in the mid to heavy size helicopters. The Sikorsky S-92 is a big platform. The S-92 and AW139 are the sweet spot for us this year. We do have the ability to cover almost anything that is flying in the market today.”
JSSI signed an S-92 into its ‘Tip-to-Tail’ airframe and engine maintenance programme last week. The client’s nationality is unknown but he or she is a “high profile” international client.
Ray Weiser, senior director of helicopter services at JSSI, said: “The JSSI helicopter services team is delighted to welcome this Sikorsky S-92 client onto the Tip-to-Tail Program. These multi-purpose helicopters often fly in extreme and harsh environments, which makes it particularly difficult for operators to predict maintenance costs.
“We listened and created a maintenance programme to meet the unique requirements of these operators. We can offer a stabilised budget, protection from those unexpected maintenance expenses, and exceptional technical support from our worldwide team of technical advisors.”
The Tip-to-Tail Program is servicing more than 2,000 aircraft globally, with the majority being engine customers. The service has grown by double digits over the last three to four years, and is servicing between 200 and 250 clients.
