Latest about aerospace MRO November/December 2025

Dassault Aviation opens Melbourne facility

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RESPECTIVE COMPANIES

Dassault Falcon Jet, a subsidiary of Dassault Aviation, opened a major maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility at Florida’s Melbourne Orlando International Airport (KMLB). Dassault’s footprint in the United States already includes 2,500 employees, aircraft completions, and sales.

“Our state-of-the-art Melbourne MRO is the latest expansion of our worldwide network of more than 40 service locations. It adds significant capacity in the Americas and puts more service capability closer to our Falcon customers,” says Eric Trappier, chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation. “The region is already home to many key industry players, a supportive business environment, and – most importantly – a highly skilled workforce.”

Intended to serve customers across North and South America, the 250,000ft² complex can accommodate all current Falcon business jets (including the Falcon 10X in development) and can perform major maintenance and modifications on up to 14 Falcon aircraft simultaneously. The site is also home to a state-of-the-art 54,000ft² paint shop. https://www.dassaultfalcon.com

Boeing, partners set new standard for parts authentication

With partners Southwest Airlines (SWA) and Aeroxchange Ltd., Boeing successfully completed the aerospace industry’s first parts shipment accompanied by a digital 8130-3 certificate – an electronic version of the FAA-governed 8130-3 Authorized Release Certificate. The milestone advances supply chain security by preventing unapproved spare parts from entering the aerospace aftermarket.

A battery serviced at Boeing’s product repair services center in Davie, Florida was the first part shipped using the electronic form, transmitted using the Aeroxchange eARC platform. SWA received the battery at its Dallas facility, verifying its authenticity and airworthiness through the digital process.

FAA Form 8130-3 certifies the airworthiness of aircraft parts, components, and articles. The digital 8130 certificate replaces the traditional paper certificate with a secure, encrypted file authenticating the authorized signer’s identity and ensures document integrity.

Leveraging X.509 security protocols, public/private key encryption, and blockchain-ready formats, the digital 8130 certificate creates an immutable, verifiable record of part authenticity throughout its life cycle.

Boeing, which led an effort to gain authorization for the digital solution, will continue rolling out use of the digital 8130 certificate across all nine of its product repair services centers, as each center receives authorization from the FAA to use electronic systems for recordkeeping, electronic signatures, and electronic manuals. https://www.aeroxchange.com; https://services.boeing.com; https://www.southwest.com

Aero Star Aviation applies AI to improve maintenance

Dallas, Texas-headquartered Aero Star Aviation, a repair facility specializing in Embraer Phenom 100 and 300, and Praetor 500 and 600 executive jets, launched an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered virtual assistant to enhance customer experience and reduce maintenance downtime.

The AI virtual assistant, Ava, streamlines the technician’s troubleshooting process by accessing data gained from Aero Star’s years of knowledge and experience servicing Embraer Phenom 100 and 300 jets.

“Our technicians will have the information they need instantly, without the delays of traditional document searches or manual troubleshooting. Ava will increase the accuracy of the repairs, along with accelerating the process of the maintenance timeline,” says Chris Grinnell, owner/president, Aero Star Aviation. https://www.aerostaraviation.aero