March-April_2022 - 29

" We actually had a pretty good schedule built all
Problems
A
s the COVID-19 pandemic shows some signs of receding,
many around the world, inside and out of the aviation
industry, are looking at how to build back to pre-pandemic
levels of operation. But for those in the business of painting
aircraft, they're looking at how to keep pandemic numbers
going.
Business has been booming during the downturn of the pandemic.
Fewer planes in the sky have meant more time in the hangar getting new coats
and more done, and the trend is predicted to keep going.
Randy Johnson, director of corporate aircraft services at King Aerospace, said
they did experience a brief period of slow down during the first year of the pandemic,
but it turned around quickly.
BALLARD AVIATION
the way through about August [2020]. We didn't feel
a whole lot of pain until maybe October. It gave us six
months or so to sell September, October, November.
We had a pretty slow September and pretty slow
October in 2020. But I'll tell you, since November of
'20, we've done well. We hit our forecasted number
last year. And 2022, we're full. We have no slots left
in our paint department, " Johnson said.
As this AMT article was being written, Johnson
said King's maintenance bays were roughly 80 percent
taken for the year.
" So, we've persevered through it. We've heard a
lot of horror stories, but we've been pretty blessed
throughout this pandemic, " he added.
Jay Prideaux, paint manager, Ballard Aviation, adds
that they too have experienced much of the same
during these past pandemic years.
" There's been challenges, but it's been brisk. It's
been crazy, especially with the sales side of it. There
are people buying airplanes now that would not have
ever bought an airplane before this, I don't believe.
Which has made
it challenging for
us to find schedule
to paint airplanes.
So,
it's
not what the rest
of the world sees
in being slow.
We're exactly the
opposite, completely
busy and
struggling to find
places to paint airplanes, " he said.
" You know what? Clientele has been a blessing.
Having this pandemic for aircraft has been life changing,
but for the good, " added Teresa Arredondo, president
& CEO of ArtCraft Paint. " The customers, they
keep coming. Their financials were probably better
than before. That's why they took the initiative, the
time and the decision to paint ... their aircraft during
the pandemic because they were not flying that much. "
Arredondo added that demand has been so high,
they have had to add more staff since the onset of the
pandemic. Pre-pandemic, Arredondo said they had
19 people on staff; today, ArtCraft has 32.
And the demand doesn't appear to be dwindling
anytime soon. Johnson said King Aerospace
is already booking slots for 2023, and his slots for
Boeing Business Jet-size (BBJ) aircraft is full for '23.
" I think my large aircraft bay is full. That's for BBJsize
aircraft, which I think we can do maybe six of
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March-April_2022

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