Jets: 1 Embraer, 2 Dassault, 3 Gulfstream, 4 Textron, 5 Bombardier. Turboprops: 1 Daher, 2 Pilatus, 3 Textron.
Embraer remains 1st for 2 consecutive years in the jet division. Daher keeps 1st place in the TP division for 4 consecutive years. Results are based on 855 line evaluations and 843 survey forms received – 10.6% return.
Pro Pilot staff report
Data compiled by Conklin & de Decker
JETS
1Embraer takes top honors for the 2nd year in a row, with an overall score of 7.92 this year, up from 7.76 received in 2023. Most improved category this year is spares availability, with 6.76, compared to 6.49 in 2023. The OEM earned 1st place in cost of parts, speed in AOG service, tech manuals, tech reps, and service satisfaction.
Embraer’s product support team is available to provide operators with top quality service. Its Contact Center is accessible 24/7 and works very closely with skilled technicians and field service representatives, and with a global network based on more than 80 owned and authorized service centers.
2Dassault places 2nd place this year, with an overall score of 7.85. In 2023, it got a 7.71 score. Greatest category improvement is in cost of parts, with 6.43 this year, up from 6.03 in 2023. This is a 0.40 improvement – the biggest in the entire survey. Dassault placed 2nd in spares availability, tech manuals, and tech reps.
Falcon Customer Support team works with the Command Center, which tracks AOG events from facilities in France and the US. The GoTeam is assisted by 100-plus FSRs who coordinate AOG support. Falcon Response teams minimize AOG time. And Spares Hotlines are ready to support operators 24/7 worldwide.
3Gulfstream ranks 3rd this year, with an overall score of 7.76, compared to 7.73 last year. Best category advancement is in company response time, with 8.46 – up 0.15 from last year. This OEM ranked 1st in company response time and spares availability, and 2nd in speed in AOG service and service satisfaction.
Gulfstream product support is available 24/7, with service centers available worldwide. Its Field and Airborne Support Teams (FAST) make it possible to deploy techs immediately to assist in any AOG events anywhere in the world.
4Textron is 4th in the survey this year, with an overall score of 7.69 – slightly higher from 7.64 in 2023. Spares availability is the category where Textron made the highest improvement, with 7.01 this year, compared to 6.77 in 2023. It earned 2nd spot on cost of parts, and 3rd in spares availability and tech manuals.
Textron counts on a global service network, FSRs assigned to aircraft, and service centers capable of providing maintenance inspections, parts, repairs, avionic mods, equipment installations, and interior and exterior refurbishment. 1CALL gives access to immediate AOG support through Mobile Service Units (MSUs) and LinxUs – a Citation aircraft monitoring system. In adition, its parts program helps operators to anticipate lower maintenance costs.
5Bombardier rounds out the survey, taking 5th place with an overall score of 7.26 this year. Best category boost is in spares availability, with a 6.50 score, up from 6.25 in 2023.
Maintenance support worldwide for Bombardier aircraft is possible through company owned and authorized service facilities. Support is available 24/7 with the company’s Customer Response Centre and Mobile Response Team, and enables access to unique parts through parts distribution hubs.
TURBOPROPS
1Daher is 1st for 4 consecutive years, with an overall score of 8.98. Best category improvement is in cost of parts, with a 7.57 score, compared to 7.33 in 2023. Daher ranks 1st in all categories of the survey.
Daher’s customer service teams are available 24/7 to support TMB operators. It has a network of 54 service centers worldwide, with 2 primary maintenance centers located in France and the US. Daher support and maintenance services are available for TBM operators, with technical publications, spare parts, repairs, engineering, and warranty management. And KodiakCare is ready to provide AOG support 24/7.
2Pilatus ranks 2nd this year, with an overall score of 8.12 – up from last year’s 8.07. Its biggest category improvement is in speed in AOG service, with an 8.33, compared to 8.07 received last year. Pilatus is 2nd in all categories of the survey.
Pilatus Customer Support is available 24/7/365 for customer support and enquiries. Its authorized service centers are the best resource to support a Pilatus aircraft. They can provide service bulletin history, maintenance requirements, publications, spare parts, warranty administration, and service history of pre-owned aircraft/parts. Owners, operators, authorized service centres, and suppliers have direct access to useful information through the MyPilatus customer portal.
3Textron is 3rd in the TP division. Overall score is 7.37 in 2024, compared to 7.72 last year. Cost of parts is the most improved category, with 6.28, compared to 6.12 in 2023.
Textron’s global service network allows operators to receive maintenance, spare parts, repairs, avionics modifications, and other services needed for the aircraft. And in case of AOG situations or unscheduled maintenance events, owners and operators are able to receive immediate support through the 1CALL program.
Methodology
For 34 years, Pro Pilot has asked corporate turbine aircraft operators to rate the quality of aftersale service provided by OEMs. Both paper and electronic forms have been used for this purpose. For 23 years, jet and TP aircraft support has been rated in different divisions. There are 7 categories listed in the survey form – company response time, spares availability, cost of parts, speed in AOG service, tech manuals, tech reps, and service satisfaction.
During Apr 2024, a targeted mailing of 7989 survey forms were sent out to a random selection of corporate operators from the Pro Pilot subscription list, plus an additional turbine aircraft operators list. A total of 843 survey forms, representing 10.6% return, came back to the Pro Pilot office by the Jul 26, 2024 cutoff date. A total of 680 survey forms were properly filled out, which provided 855 line evaluations – 690 for the jet division and 165 for the TP section. A total of 163 survey forms were disqualified due to inconsistencies, errors, duplications, or lateness.
On Nov 1st, 2019, Daher acquired Quest Aircraft Company, thus bringing together TBM and Kodiak under 1 entity – Daher. Responsibility for both TMB and Kodiak is now under Daher. Pro Pilot policy is to continue to rate newly acquired product lines separately for 3 years. Therefore, since this is the 5th year since the merger, TBM and Kodiak aircraft are now all rated together under Daher.
Pro Pilot rules required a minimum of 100 line evaluations to rank in the jet division. A total of 5 manufacturers met the criteria – Bombardier, Dassault, Embraer, Gulfstream, and Textron (Citation, Beechjet, and Hawker). Other manufacturers also received evaluations, but not sufficient to rank in the jet division, They were Airbus (3), Boeing (8), Cirrus (7), Eclipse (1), HondaJet (3), Pilatus (10), and other (2).
On the TP division, the requirement was 35 responses. A total of 3 aircraft OEMs met the criteria – Daher, Pilatus, and Textron (Caravan, Conquest, and King Air). Other manufacturers that did not reach the minimum requirement to rank in the survey were Aero Commander (1), de Havilland Canada (2), Mitsubishi (5), Piaggio (3), and Piper (10).
Survey respondents were asked to rate corporate aircraft OEMs on a scale of 1 (poor) to 10 (excellent) within each of the 7 categories. Conklin & de Decker, a JSSI company, acted as a research agent and performed independent data analysis.
For a full view of the 2024 Corporate Aircraft Product Support Survey, click here.