Manitoba Aerospace Week

2 MANITOBA AEROSPACE WEEK May 27 - June 4, 2016 T housands of Canadians every day board passenger jets destined for sunny coastal resorts or aircraft bound for friendly Arctic communities. Few of these passengers realize, however, that their aircraft could have been serviced in Winnipeg. For more than twenty years, Winnipeg-based Flightcraft Maintenance Services has been ensuring some of Canada's most recognized airlines remain safe and reliable for customers flying to all corners of North America, and beyond. As the only provider of heavy maintenance for large commercial aircraft in Manitoba, Flightcraft – commonly known as FMS – has close to 100 highly skilled employees and many of them have been with the company since its founding in 1995. "FMS is evolving to meet the demands of our industry and we're expanding operations to offer new services," said company CEO Jim Peroff. "We've made significant investments in our training and our tooling which enables us to now offer all levels of aircraft maintenance including overhaul on virtually all commercial types of aircraft in North America." Mr. Peroff notes that, with the current US dollar exchange rate, American operators are now looking north for maintenance while Canadian operators are thinking twice about going south. Several new contracts in recent months have presented FMS with significant growth opportunities. The company recently opened line stations in Regina and Saskatoon, and the company plans to create several jobs in Winnipeg. "FMS is pleased to have some of the best and brightest aviation techs in Canada, possibly the world, and we continue to hire talented professionals," said Mr. Peroff. "Some of these individuals were formerly working in Winnipeg's aerospace sector and left, and we're happy to see them bring their technical expertise back." The FMS family has evolved into a dedicated and experienced team. Aviation technicians hired by FMS join a solid and growing company known for quality – meeting or surpassing all regulatory requirements in safety and airworthiness. Their commitment to ensuring customer satisfaction and delivering results is why many clients have worked with FMS for more than two decades. "We aim to provide world-class quality to our customers – not just in their airframes but also in our customer service," said Mr. Peroff. "Meeting our regulatory requirements is important, but we go further than simple checks in the box, and that's what sets us apart." To manage the risks associated with growth, FMS is dedicated to detailed planning and to investing in the future. Recent investments include upgraded Technical Training, new Network Aircraft Maintenance Software and long-term access to 60,000 square feet of hangar space. "We've recently opened a second line of narrow body Heavy Maintenance aircraft with a goal of adding a third line for wide body aircraft," said Mr. Peroff. "When you calculate the accompanying growth in support shops, our manpower requirements could easily double in the coming years." FMS is certified by Transport Canada to perform all forms of aircraft Line and Heavy maintenance up to and including overhaul. Their business currently focuses on servicing the B737 aircraft family, which is among the world's most commonly used aircraft. Today FMS is actively involved in surplus sales of aircraft parts where older aircraft are purchased and stripped of all useable parts. These parts are inspected, reworked, certified and made ready for resale. This is smart business, but it also allows FMS to disassemble aircraft in an environmentally responsible manner. Any surplus part coming out of their Winnipeg warehouse is no more that 2 to 4 hours away from any North American-based customer – making their Winnipeg location a tremendous asset. Flightcraft Maintenance Services is independently owned and operated, and has always worked out of the Winnipeg International Airport. For more information, please visit: www.flightcraftmaintenance.com ❚ FLIGHTCRAFT MAINTENANCE SERVICES REACHES NEW HEIGHTS

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