An unforeseen, but welcome, side effect of the pandemic was the resurgence of business aviation. Aircraft sales, charter hours and flight time soared, and maintenance shops found their hangars full and their backlog growing. Add in supply chain issues, workforce shortages and the introduction of new generation aircraft and their unique maintenance requirements and the result was, and is, an industry with a significant capacity crunch.

For Thornton Aviation, this challenge provided an opportunity for the maintenance, modifications and structural repair provider to reassess and rebuild, leaning into their strengths while developing ways to provide much needed space, skill and service to the business aviation community.

If it flies, Thornton Aviation can fix it

With a 40+ year history of service, more than 61 aircraft on its FAA repair station certificate, and nearly 1,000 years’ worth of maintenance experience, there isn’t much that Thornton Aviation can’t do. With operations at Van Nuys (KVNY) and Burbank (KBUR), the company serves a wide range of operators and aircraft.

“There are abundant aircraft based in the area plus a tremendous number of transient operators arriving in Los Angeles daily. We’ve worked to make Thornton Aviation nimble enough to address both drop-in and scheduled service,” adds Steve Zimmerman, chief executive officer. “It’s a unique niche that we’re happy to fill.”

Experience the Thornton Aviation difference

Following substantial investments in talent, tooling, and facilities, Thornton Aviation has strategically expanded across all core product lines, with the most notable growth in the Gulfstream segment. Gulfstream operators recognize Thornton Aviation as a uniquely positioned service provider, drawn to the company’s high-touch, high-value, and transparent approach to maintenance and modification services.

With an astonishing 61 aircraft on its FAA repair station certificate, Thornton Aviation provides maintenance, modifications, avionics installs and upgrades, engine inspections and repairs plus structural repair services on today’s most popular aircraft including:

Bombardier: CL300, 350, 600, 601, 604, 605, Global 5000, 6000, 7500 and Global Express Series

Cessna Citation: 500-650, 680, 750 Series

Dassault Falcon: 50, 900, 2000, 7X and 8X Series

Gulfstream: G150, G200, G280, GII, GIII, GIV, G350, G450, GV, G550, G650 Series

Hawker: 700, 800, 800XP, 900XP and 1000 Series

Learjet: 31, 31A, 35, 36, and 45 Series

Another way Thornton Aviation has adapted to meet the market’s needs is by developing and deploying rapid response teams. The company’s trained technicians and fully-equipped trucks deliver 24/7 support to operators in California and Nevada.

Thornton Aviation has expanded its physical footprint, too, recently adding a hangar and technicians at Burbank (KBUR). With the expanded capacity, Thornton Aviation can now accommodate six large cabin aircraft at the KBUR operation.

Flight deck and cabin solutions are another skill that sets Thornton Aviation apart. The demand for connectivity has caused the company to expand its team and its dealer authorizations.

In the company’s first year as a Starlink dealer, it has completed more than 30 installations on various large cabin aircraft including the first G650. Thornton Aviation also recently completed its first full cockpit retrofit, installing Universal InSight on a Falcon 900B. “I’m proud to say that we delivered the aircraft squawk free, and that we have a Falcon 2000 InSight upgrade scheduled in conjunction with a C-check and dry bay mod,” noted Steve.

Just as Thornton Aviation blends its ability to do work in-house and on the road, perform both drop-in and scheduled service, and execute industry-first projects while also addressing day-to-day needs, its team is a blend of long-term, dedicated staff plus new, nationally-recognized leaders. CEO Steve Zimmerman is a 35+ year employee who purchased the company. Recent hires like Don Milum and Rodney Bryant ensure that new voices are at the table, too. The company also now boasts a Gulfstream maintenance and modifications team of equivalent size to its Falcon Jet team.

“We’re delighted to add professionals of this caliber to the Thornton Aviation team,” said Steve. “Together, we will work on developing and executing strategies that meet customer needs in the moment while also focusing on how we can best support the industry in the future.”

Sponsored by: Thornton Aviation

About Thornton Aviation: For more than 40 years, Thornton Aviation has been serving the business aviation community. With operations at Burbank (KBUR) and Van Nuys (KVNY), Thornton Aviation is perfectly positioned to serve operators based on the West Coast or those visiting the area for business or pleasure. A Part 145 repair station with FAA approval for more than 61 aircraft types, Thornton Aviation handles big inspections, avionics upgrades, drop-in needs and more.

For more information, phone 818.787.0205 or visit www.thorntonaviation.com.