Charles Alcock is managing editor of the AIN Media Group, having rejoined the company in 2019. He has been an aviation journalist since 1986, and previously worked for AIN from 1990 to 2017, most recently as editor-in-chief. His main focus is on covering new aviation technology and business models, as well as international news.
Having been raised in the London area, Alcock studied at the University of Manchester in the UK and earned an honors degree in Politics and Modern History. He speaks English and French, and some German.

Managing Editor

Charles Alcock

Sometimes being the alternative to the obvious course of action can be an ideal springboard for disruptive innovation in a market. That would appear to have been JSSI’s North Star as it has navigated through 35 years of providing hourly cost maintenance (HCM) programs for business aircraft operators, taking on the role of the grit that yields pearls from oysters in an MRO sector that might otherwise be complacent through lack of competition.
But the company hasn’t just made its name for not being any one of the major airframe, engine, or aircraft parts OEMs, with a promise of a more competitive support service. It’s kept innovating to improve core offerings like Tip-to-Tail coverage as technology has evolved, and also to move into new areas, such as aircraft financing, and software and data.
JSSI’s Parts &amp; Leasing (JPL) operation is a prime case in point, supplying not just HCM clients, but plenty of other operators too. Over the past decade, the team has taken a deep dive into the mysteries of gaps in inventories and supply chain headaches, which have rapidly risen to the top of habitual stress triggers in the business aviation sector.
Today, JPL has direct access to hardware from more than 600 vendors worldwide, with a procurement team that provides 24/7 AOG support, sourcing what’s needed from wherever it may be most readily available. According to JSSI, the 100,000 or so parts it has in stock cover more than 80% of all business aircraft in service today.
Last year, JSSI launched its PartsHub eCommerce platform, which gives users access not only to available inventory but also to vital information about aircraft applicability, alternate options, and reliability data covering factors such as mean times before removal, reasons for removal, and a direct correlation between maintenance task numbers and specific parts. The service is free to use and includes thousands of pre-priced parts for those who just want to select and check out with no delay.
<h2>Objective Information is Market Power</h2>
In the seven years since JSSI acquired and digitized respected industry data source Conklin &amp; de Decker, the shared focus has been on expanding the horizons of data transparency and objectivity. Today, the platform provides users with the ability to compare more than 500 business aircraft, with operational and performance data presented without fear or favor.
In 2021, JSSI added the Traxxall and SierraTrax (now Aviator) platforms to its software portfolio, providing clients with improved ways to track maintenance tasks. Traxxall now tracks the status of more than 4,000 aircraft for more than 17,000 customers in over 80 countries.
Aircraft financing is the group’s most recent diversification, with the launch of JSSI Aviation Capital in 2023. According to the company, its profound understanding of maintenance and aircraft values leaves it better placed to finance a wider array of transactions, including&nbsp;older assets, that may not be in the wheelhouses of most banks and finance providers. It can provide&nbsp;100% asset-based financing lending directly against the asset value of the aircraft, but also commonly finances up to 65% loan-to-value.
Arguably, if JSSI didn’t exist, business aircraft operators would have no choice but to accept support programs their aircraft and engine manufacturers served up. “Our role in the market is to drive consumer choice, innovation, improved product and service quality, and affordability,” Francisco Zozaya, JSSI's chief revenue officer, told AIN. “In a competitive environment, the market becomes more dynamic, and offerings improve. We have evolved from exclusively focusing on HCM programs to expand into synergistic areas and product lines.”

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JSSI (Jet Support Services Inc.)

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