Associated Air Center (AAC) of the US has completed and redelivered its first Boeing 747-8 wide body aircraft for a Head of State customer from the Middle East.  

The aircraft departed from the company’s facility, located at Dallas Love Field, on February 26, 35 days ahead of the contractual redelivery schedule, on a 15-hour, non-stop flight to its home base.  

Following a thorough review of several cabin design concepts offered by several outside designers, the customer chose AAC’s in-house design department to create an elegant, contemporary interior featuring purpose-specific cabin zones (resting, meeting, dining, lounging, gaming and medical areas).

AAC’s in-house certification Organizational Designation Authorization (ODA) team, working with multiple aviation regulatory agencies, obtained several FAA (Federal Aviaiton Administration) supplemental type certificates (STCs) applicable to this highly customised cabin configuration, as well as other EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) and customer country validations.

The 4,786-sq-ft upper and main deck cabins were supplemented with the integration of a 393-sq-ft module installed above the aft passenger cabin, accommodating eight private sleeping compartments and changing area.

The VVIP cabin systems feature audio-video-on-demand (AVOD) available to all passengers through in-arm, personal, LCD Touch-Screens and large 55-inch bulkhead mounted LED monitors, providing passengers with a large library of high definition (HD) videos and a passenger flight information system (PFIS) providing passengers with High Definition (HD) 3D world-wide moving maps and aircraft location.  

In addition, the cabin includes multi-region satellite TV, Satcom broadband (SBB) allowing access to the internet and video conferencing, in-seat outlets for charging personal electronic devices (PEDs), external HD cameras for landscape viewing, LED mood-lighting providing an array of pre-programmed scenarios and multi-zonal cabin humidification system to improve passenger comfort during long missions. 

 Additional potable and gray water tanks were installed to support the integration of nine lavatories, three of which are equipped with showers and three galley complexes.

“This project demonstrated both the depth and breadth of our completions expertise,” said James Colleary.  “Extensive engineering resources and elaborate program management were required to deliver this amazing aircraft, as promised, to our customer’s exacting specifications.”

Last month, AAC also redelivered the industry’s first 787 VVIP Head of State aircraft.  The company is currently bidding on numerous, additional wide and narrow body completion programmes for induction in 2016.

AAC, StandardAero’s Transport Category VIP completions centere in Dallas, is a global leader in BBJ completions and one of the most experienced completions companies in the industry. Authorised by both Boeing and Airbus, AAC offers full completion capabilities for both narrowbody and widebody aircraft, including maintenance, refurbishment, modifications and upgrades.