Ceramic Coating at Comiso Pio La Torre (LICB)

Why ceramic coating instead of another wash cycle?

Ceramic is chemistry, not wax. A wash removes dirt; ceramic changes the surface so dirt struggles to bond in the first place. Once cured, the hydrophobic layer sheds water, dust and light contamination, which means fewer emergency washes between scheduled cleans and shorter turnarounds when you do wash. The coating also locks out UV—important on a Mediterranean ramp where paint oxidises faster—and stands up to Type I and IV fluids without softening.

The process begins with decontamination: iron and tar removers, clay bar, sometimes a solvent wipe to lift everything the last wash left behind. Paint correction follows—machine polishing to remove swirls, oxidation and light scratches—so the ceramic bonds to clean, level clearcoat. Two ceramic layers go onto the fuselage, wings and tail; brightwork and windows receive their own formulation. Then the aircraft sits in the hangar while the coating cross-links, typically overnight between layers. You leave with a maintenance plan and a warranty document that travels with the tech log.

What changes at Comiso Pio La Torre?

Comiso sits at 756 feet elevation five kilometres south of town, with a single 2,538-metre runway—05/23—long enough for any business jet you will bring. The airport is managed by SAC, the Catania airport company, which absorbed the former Comiso operator by merger in 2022; all permits, slots and handler coordination therefore run through SAC rather than a stand-alone Comiso office. Ground handling—passengers, aircraft, ramp—is contracted to GH Catania, part of the GH Italia group, and their Executive Aviation desk is the first call for business-aviation turnarounds and third-party crew access.

Because Comiso is a regional field serving scheduled traffic and summer charter peaks, apron space can tighten in July and August; a six-day hangar block needs advance notice so the handler can confirm stand availability and coordinate airside escort for the detailing crew. Outside the summer wave the airport is quieter, and turnaround windows open up. The southern Sicilian coast means strong sun year-round—paint temperatures climb quickly on the ramp—so ceramic's UV resistance pays dividends here. If you are staging through Comiso regularly, the handler will recognise the rhythm; if this is a one-off repositioning stop, allow extra lead time for permits and coordination.

How does a three-to-six-day hangar booking actually work?

Three days is the minimum for a straightforward airframe—paint already in good condition, no heavy oxidation, cooperative weather for curing. Six days covers a larger cabin, more correction work or scheduling around other traffic in the hangar. The aircraft does not need to stay dark the entire time; you can plan crew rest, a tech visit or a cabin detail in parallel, as long as the paint is untouched once the ceramic goes on.

GH Catania arranges the hangar through SAC and issues the airside pass for the detailing crew. The handler expects a simple brief: arrival time, departure slot if known, any GPU or tow requirements, and a contact for the third-party team. The ceramic supplier will want hangar temperature and humidity readings before application—most products cure best between fifteen and twenty-five degrees Celsius with moderate humidity—so if you are booking in winter, confirm heating. Once the final layer is on, the aircraft sits untouched for twelve to twenty-four hours, then it is released for a post-cure inspection and handover. You receive the warranty card, the maintenance schedule and a bottle of pH-neutral shampoo for the next wash.

What does paint correction mean before the ceramic goes on?

Correction is controlled abrasion: a machine polisher with a foam pad and a cutting compound removes a few microns of clearcoat, levelling out swirls, water spots, light scratches and oxidation. The goal is a uniform surface so the ceramic bonds evenly. If the paint is new or recently detailed, correction may be light—a single-stage polish to remove any handling marks. If the aircraft has been through a northern European winter or a sandy summer in the Gulf, heavier correction may be needed on the leading edges, belly and nacelles.

The detailer will inspect the paint in direct sunlight or under a work light, mark any areas that need extra attention, then work panel by panel. Gel-coat on composite surfaces and urethane on aluminium both respond to the same process, though composite can be more forgiving. Once correction is done, the surface is wiped with an isopropyl solution to remove any polish oils, then the first ceramic layer is applied by hand with an applicator pad. The second layer follows six to twelve hours later. Brightwork—landing-light bezels, static ports, antennas—gets a separate ceramic formulation that will not haze or streak on metal.

How often should ceramic coating be redone, and what maintenance does it need?

A properly applied two-layer ceramic will last two to three years, depending on flight hours, where you operate and how you wash. If the aircraft spends most of its time in the Mediterranean and gets a rinseless wash every four to six weeks, you will see the full three years. If you are crossing the North Atlantic in winter and picking up de-icing fluid every other leg, expect closer to two. The coating does not fail suddenly; it simply becomes less hydrophobic, and water stops beading as tightly.

Between applications, wash with pH-neutral shampoo—no wax, no degreasers, nothing alkaline. A rinseless wash is fine; in fact, the reduced mechanical agitation helps the coating last. If you see water spots after a rinse, a quick wipe with a damp microfibre will lift them without abrading the ceramic. Some operators add a ceramic spray booster every six months—a diluted top-up applied after a wash—to extend the hydrophobic effect. When the coating finally ages out, the paint underneath will be in better condition than it would have been without protection, so the next correction cycle is shorter and the next ceramic application easier.

Can ceramic coating be applied at Comiso between charter legs or during a positioning stop?

Yes, if the schedule allows the three-to-six-day window and the hangar is available. Charter operators staging through Sicily sometimes book ceramic during a planned gap between legs—say, a northbound charter to Germany followed by a southbound positioning flight a week later. The aircraft arrives at Comiso, goes straight into the hangar, and emerges ready for the next rotation with two years of protection in place. Flight departments managing a Mediterranean summer season will occasionally use Comiso as a mid-season refresh point, particularly if the aircraft has been through a busy spring and the paint is showing swirls or oxidation.

The key is coordination. GH Catania needs at least a week's notice to confirm hangar space and arrange the airside pass; if you are arriving during the summer peak, two weeks is safer. The detailing crew will want to inspect the paint on arrival to confirm the scope of correction work, so build a few hours of contingency into the schedule in case they find more oxidation than expected. If the aircraft is cold-soaked on arrival, it will need time to stabilise in the hangar before any product goes on. Once the ceramic is cured and the aircraft is released, you can depart immediately—there is no waiting period for flight, only for the next wash, which should be at least seven days out to let the coating fully harden.