Ceramic Coating at Munich (EDDM)

What changes at Munich for ceramic coating work?

Munich sits at 1,487 feet elevation with two parallel runways each 4,000 metres long, 28.5 kilometres north-east of central Munich. The General Aviation Terminal operates 06:00 to 22:00 local, though its office opens at 05:30 and the terminal closes at 22:00. Night restrictions run 22:00 to 06:00: between 22:00 and midnight and again from 05:00 to 06:00 only aircraft on the federal bonus list—or delayed Chapter 3 types—may move, and the core night from midnight to 05:00 is reserved for mail flights, survey work, and individually approved exceptions. That regime means most business jets arrive before 22:00 and stay on the ground until morning, which suits ceramic coating perfectly: the aircraft will be static for days, so the curfew becomes an advantage rather than a constraint.

Five handling agents work at the GAT—ExecuJet Europe, Lufthansa Technik, MAS Munich Aviation Service, Signature, and AHS München—and one lists cleaning among its own offerings. We coordinate with whichever agent you appoint. The terminal is slot-coordinated, so arrival and departure slots must be secured in advance. Hangar rental for short-term use can be ordered up to three hours before arrival; we book the hangar for the full duration of the ceramic work, typically three to six days depending on aircraft size and any additional correction required. The GAT's hangars also serve maintenance and long-term parking, so scheduling a multi-day block during a quieter week improves availability and keeps costs predictable.

How do we handle airside access and equipment at the GAT?

The General Aviation Terminal has no public transport link; short-term parking and the P35 car park sit adjacent to the terminal, which matters when bringing detailing equipment, polishers, and ceramic product to the stand or hangar. Our team holds permanent airside passes and arranges escort if required. We deliver all tools, pads, compounds, isopropyl alcohol, ceramic bottles, infrared lamps, and inspection lights directly to the hangar before the aircraft arrives, so the moment the jet is towed inside we can begin masking pitot covers, static ports, and no-touch avionics panels.

Because ceramic coating demands a controlled environment—stable temperature, low humidity, no dust—we work only inside the hangar. The GAT's hangars are heated, and we supplement with portable infrared panels during curing. If the aircraft arrives with de-icing fluid residue or winter grime, we perform a preliminary rinseless wash on the apron under GPU power before the tow, then complete decontamination inside. All waste water from the hangar bay is captured in our recovery system; Munich's environmental rules are strict, and we follow them without exception.

What does the three-to-six-day process include?

Day one is decontamination: clay bar or chemical decon over every painted panel, the cheat line, nacelles, winglets, and belly. We remove embedded contamination—industrial fallout, tree sap, insect proteins, fuel stains—that would telegraph through the ceramic layer if left in place. Day two and often day three are paint correction: we machine-polish with a rotary or dual-action tool to remove oxidation, swirl marks, and light scratches, working in two-foot sections under high-intensity LED inspection lights. Brightwork—landing-light bezels, door handles, exhaust surrounds—receives its own correction sequence, finishing with a single-stage polish to mirror clarity.

Once the paint is corrected we apply the first ceramic layer, panel by panel, wiping on the liquid polymer with a microfibre applicator block and buffing within the flash time. The first layer cures for twelve hours, then we apply the second layer using the same method. Brightwork and windows receive one ceramic layer each, formulated for glass and metal rather than paint. After the final layer we cure the entire aircraft for twenty-four to forty-eight hours, using infrared lamps on the wings and fuselage to accelerate cross-linking. Before release we photograph every surface under raking light, document coating thickness with a gauge, and hand over a maintenance plan that specifies wash intervals, approved soap chemistry, and warranty terms—typically two to three years depending on flight hours and operating environment.

When does ceramic coating make sense in a Munich schedule?

Ceramic Coating at Munich works best when the aircraft will be static for a full week or when you are already scheduling heavy maintenance, avionics upgrades, or interior refurbishment at one of the on-site shops. The three-to-six-day window fits neatly into a maintenance visit, and combining the work saves positioning costs. If the jet has just come out of paint—whether a full respray or touch-up—ceramic coating locks in that finish before the first wash introduces swirl marks or the first winter exposes the paint to Type I and Type IV fluid.

We also see operators choose ceramic after a Complete Detail, using the correction work already done as the foundation for a multi-year protective layer. That sequencing makes economic sense: you pay for paint correction once, then extend the result with ceramic rather than repeating the correction cycle every year. For fleets with a Munich home base or regular charter circuits through southern Germany, ceramic coating reduces turnaround wash time at every subsequent stop—dirt and rain sheet off faster, belly grime wipes away without scrubbing—so each quick wash between legs takes twenty minutes instead of forty.

How do we document the work and communicate progress?

Every ceramic coating project generates a digital photo report: before images showing contamination and paint defects, during images of the correction process with paint-depth readings, after images of each panel under inspection light, and curing images with infrared lamps in position. We upload the report to a shared folder as we work, so the chief pilot or flight-department manager can see progress without visiting the hangar. If you prefer, we send a daily summary by email or WhatsApp, including any findings—stone chips on the leading edges, corrosion under a door seal, a belly panel that needs OEM attention—that should go into the tech log.

The final warranty document lists the ceramic product batch number, application date, curing temperature, and the recommended maintenance schedule: wash interval, approved soap brands, restrictions on automatic brush washes, and the conditions that void the warranty. That document travels with the aircraft and should be referenced whenever a new handler or FBO performs a wash. We also provide a small bottle of ceramic maintenance spray and two microfibre cloths, so the crew can top up hydrophobic performance between professional washes if the jet sits outside in rain or pollen season.

Can ceramic coating be part of a recurring programme at Munich?

Yes. Many operators apply ceramic every two to three years as part of a scheduled appearance programme, timing each application to coincide with a C-check or avionics mandate at Munich. We store the previous report and warranty document, so when the aircraft returns we know exactly which areas showed the most wear—typically the belly, nacelle inlets, and leading edges—and adjust our correction work accordingly. Recurring ceramic customers also receive priority hangar booking during peak maintenance months in spring and autumn, when the GAT schedule tightens.

Between ceramic applications we recommend quarterly or semi-annual dry washes at whatever base the aircraft operates from, using only pH-neutral rinseless products that will not strip the ceramic layer. If you are running a fleet programme with light jets or turboprops alongside the larger iron, we can schedule ceramic for the entire fleet in sequence, one aircraft per week, so the work flows through the hangar without gaps and you benefit from consolidated invoicing and a single point of contact for all documentation.