Essendon Fields Airport recently welcomed senior Textron Aviation representatives from Wichita, Kansas, for an exclusive first look at their new state-of-the-art aircraft maintenance hangar.
The visit provided a rare behind the scenes opportunity to tour the completed 3,343 sqm facility ahead of Textron Aviation formally commencing operations. The facility will become a major hub for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker aircraft.
The visiting delegation included Brian Rohloff, Senior Vice President Customer Support, Sergio Lopez, Vice President International Customer Service Centres, and Zaki Abu Ghazaleh, new General Manager, Australia Service Centre.
The new hangar doubles Textron Aviation’s current footprint at Essendon Fields, expanding service capacity and enhancing support for operators across the Asia–Pacific (APAC) region.
Positioned on the airport’s Southern Apron, the purpose-built facility is designed to improve operational efficiency by centralising movements on the airfield. It will also support new engineering roles, apprenticeships and technical operations, strengthening Essendon Fields’ position as Australia’s premier business aviation hub.
The investment aligns with rising demand for factory-direct support in the region, with nearly 1,500 Textron Aviation aircraft currently operating across APAC.
The new hangar will feature a dedicated parts stockroom for faster access to critical components, along with upgraded customer amenities including a modern service lounge.
“Making the trip to Melbourne to see this facility before we officially take the keys was an important moment for our team and offered a behind the scenes look at the future of Textron Aviation’s support presence in Australia,” said Brian Rohloff, Senior Vice President, Global Customer Support, Textron Aviation.
“The scale, design and location of our new Essendon Fields hangar reflect a shared commitment to delivering worldclass support and will play a key role in strengthening service accessibility and responsiveness for our growing customer base across the Asia-Pacific region.”
Essendon Fields CEO Brendan Pihan said the facility was further evidence of the Airport’s vision to be a centre of excellence for business aviation.
“Our investment in this new facility for Textron Aviation demonstrates Essendon Fields’ commitment to develop Australia’s most capable and connected business aviation precinct. This new facility will not only enhance maintenance capacity for Cessna, Beechcraft and Hawker operators, but also strengthen local aviation jobs and skills development. This visit marks a major milestone in a project that will elevate our service capabilities for decades to come,” said Mr Pihan.
“This development is also the next step in the delivery of our Airport Master Plan to consolidate aviation activity into the main airfield, improving safety and operational efficiency by removing the need to use the jet crossing. Demand for hangars is strong, and we plan to keep building to meet that demand, although rising construction costs are problematic,” he finished.
Essendon Fields is becoming increasingly recognised as a leading Australian hub for business jet maintenance. The precinct is home to several major international service providers offering comprehensive support, including routine and unscheduled maintenance, avionics upgrades, aircraft modifications and rapid-response assistance for a wide range of business jet types. Together, these operations create a nationally significant centre for business aviation maintenance and support, serving operators from across the region.
“This development at Essendon Fields is a strong example of how targeted aviation investment delivers national benefits – strengthening industry capability, supporting highly skilled jobs, and improving service standards for operators across the region. This project enhances Australia’s general aviation network, and it’s encouraging to see industry partners and Essendon Fields working together on this significant new piece of aviation infrastructure,” said Jo Briskey, Federal Member for Maribyrnong.
The Hangar 83 development brought together an expert team of project delivery partners, including Bruce Henderson Architects who has led the architectural design, head contractor 2Construct, Legacy Project Management and Essendon Fields internal development and aviation team.
The arrival of Textron Aviation’s expanded facility adds to Essendon Fields’ growing general aviation ecosystem, which is also home to essential service fleets including Beechcraft King Air aircraft operated by the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Air Ambulance and Victoria Police Air Wing, along with a significant population of Cessna Citation and other business jets. The Hangar 83 project will underpin future growth by expanding local maintenance capability and reducing aircraft downtime.