Comlux America, the US completions and service centre arm of the Comlux Group, has signed its first widebody fit-out contract.

It will take delivery of the customer-owned Airbus A330 in the third quarter of 2015, says Comlux America chief executive Jim Soleo, and the project will take up to 24 months to complete.

Soleo admits the decline in the single-aisle market in last few years has served as the catalyst for its move into bigger jets.

“The narrowbody business has slowed down significantly. Not only are Boeing and Airbus selling fewer aircraft than they used to, but the competition for these completions contracts is fierce. In order to remain competitive and consistent we had to get into the widebody market.”

The deal comes as the Indianapolis-based company prepares to break ground on an extension to its hangar to accommodate the twin-aisle aircraft.

Work on the extension to its facility will begin in January, raising the footprint of the hangar to 14,600m² (160,000ft²). Construction is scheduled to be completed by August.

“The new facility is designed to accommodate one widebody - up to 747-8 size - and six narrowbodies simultaneously,” says Seleo.

Since 2010 Comlux has completed and refurbished ten narrowbodies, says Seleo, with its own BBJ Max 8s to arrive in 2019 and 2020.

Source: Flight Daily News