Fleet Care Program at Payerne (Swiss Aeropole) (LSMP)
Twelve-month appearance plan for based aircraft: scheduled turnarounds, recurring detailing and one invoice.
The Fleet Care Program at Payerne (Swiss Aeropole) (LSMP) is a twelve-month appearance plan for corporate flight departments, charter operators and FBOs with aircraft based at Swiss Aeropole. The program replaces ad-hoc bookings with a service calendar built around your flight schedule: quick turns between legs, monthly interiors, seasonal exteriors and brightwork, all documented with service history and photos for every visit. You work with one contact, receive one monthly invoice per tail number and have priority crew allocation and 24/7 AOG cover when an aircraft needs an unscheduled turnaround.
1460 ft
1 on the airport
independent, no affiliationSpeedwings FBO (inaugurated 2019) with dedicated apron, direct ramp access and heated hangars
What changes at Payerne (Swiss Aeropole) for fleet appearance work?
Payerne sits at 1,460 feet elevation in the Swiss plateau, and civil operations share the airfield with the Swiss Air Force F/A-18 squadrons. All civil movements operate under a PPR regime managed through an online portal by Swiss Aeropole, and handling is mandatory. A handling agent is present at the airport: the Speedwings FBO, inaugurated in 2019, offers a dedicated apron with direct ramp access and 6,600 m² of heated hangar space, along with 1,240 m² of offices. The airport is not slot coordinated.
The heated hangars mean indoor detailing is feasible throughout the year, which matters in a continental climate where winter temperatures can cold-soak paint and cabin materials overnight. The PPR requirement and mandatory handling mean every visit is coordinated in advance—ideal for a recurring program where service windows are fixed months ahead. The dedicated apron and direct ramp access allow crew to position aircraft for interior work without waiting for ground traffic, and the hangar environment lets us control temperature and humidity during multi-day exterior correction or seasonal decon cycles.
How does a twelve-month program differ from booking individual washes?
A one-off exterior wash is reactive: you call when the belly is stained or the leading edges have accumulated enough debris to bother you. A twelve-month program is planned. We build a service calendar at the start of the contract, locking in quick-turn dates around your known flight schedule, monthly interior visits and seasonal exterior cycles. You know in January that the aircraft will receive a full decon and single-stage polish in April and a pre-winter exterior in October, and that the cabin will be deep-cleaned on the third Thursday of every month.
The operational difference is predictability. Your chief pilot does not chase availability or negotiate pricing every time the aircraft needs a wipe-down. The crew knows the service rhythm, the tech log reflects a consistent maintenance culture and the aircraft's appearance does not swing between pristine and neglected. For a charter operator, it means you can schedule revenue legs confident that the cabin will be spotless and the exterior presentable, because the detailing cadence is already in the book. For a corporate flight department, it simplifies budgeting: one fixed monthly figure per tail number, no surprise invoices after a winter de-icing cycle leaves residue across the fuselage.
What does the service calendar include across a year?
The calendar is tailored to your operation, but a typical twelve-month plan for a super-midsize jet based at Payerne includes the following: quick turns between legs (rinseless exterior wash, cabin tidy, galley restock-ready cleaning, lavatory service and bin pull), scheduled every two to three weeks or after every third flight, depending on utilisation; monthly interior deep-clean (vacuum, all hard surfaces wiped, galley and lavatory degreased, leather conditioned, carpets spot-treated); seasonal exterior work—spring decon and polish after winter salt and glycol exposure, summer wash-and-wax cycle, autumn pre-winter exterior to seal paint before the cold months; and quarterly brightwork correction on nacelles, leading edges and the cheat line.
Each service window is logged. We photograph the aircraft before and after every visit, and the images go into a digital service history that tracks paint condition, cabin wear and any areas flagged for future attention. If you rotate two aircraft through the same program, both follow the same cadence but on offset dates, so one is always available. The calendar is reviewed quarterly with your operations team, and we adjust the rhythm if your flight schedule changes—more quick turns during charter season, fewer if the aircraft goes into scheduled maintenance.
Why does documentation matter for a fleet program at Payerne?
A twelve-month program generates dozens of service events, and without a record, you lose visibility into what was done and when. We document every visit: date, service type, crew on site, products used, areas treated and any observations—paint chips on the winglet, a cabin seat showing wear, a static port that needed extra care. Each report includes time-stamped photos of the exterior (all four quadrants, belly, gear bays, nacelles) and the cabin (galley, lavatory, seating zones, cockpit if accessible). The reports go into a shared folder, and you receive a summary email after each visit.
The value is twofold. First, it gives your operations team a maintenance-grade appearance history. If an owner asks why the cheat line looks better this quarter than last, you can show the spring polish cycle and the before-and-after images. If a charter client complains about cabin condition, you can pull the service log and demonstrate that the interior was deep-cleaned forty-eight hours before their flight. Second, the documentation catches problems early. A photo from March might show the start of corrosion on a belly panel; by June, if untreated, it becomes an AOG issue. The quarterly review with your team is where we walk through the images, flag trends and recommend whether to bring forward a polish cycle or add a brightwork session.
How does priority AOG cover work within the program?
AOG detailing requests come in two flavours: genuine emergencies—bird strike, hydraulic fluid across the fuselage, a lavatory leak that has stained the cabin—and urgent cosmetic needs, such as a charter client arriving in six hours and the aircraft still showing mud from the previous leg. Both disrupt the day's plan, and without a fleet program, you join the queue behind every other operator calling for immediate help.
Fleet Care participants get priority crew allocation. If you call at 07:00 with an AOG request, we pull a crew from the scheduled roster, defer a non-urgent service and have someone airside at Payerne within two hours, assuming the PPR and handling are already in place through your FBO relationship. The 24/7 cover means you can call outside business hours—Saturday evening, public holiday—and reach a duty manager who can mobilise a response. The cost of the AOG visit is covered within your monthly budget up to a defined limit (typically two AOG events per quarter); beyond that, additional callouts are billed at a preferential rate, still lower than the standard emergency fee.
The priority access works because we reserve crew capacity for fleet clients. A one-off customer might wait three days for a slot during high season; a fleet aircraft gets same-day or next-day service, even in July.
What does climate at Payerne mean for the appearance calendar?
Payerne's continental climate brings cold winters and warm summers, and both extremes leave marks. Winter means de-icing fluid, road salt tracked onto the apron, and temperatures low enough to cold-soak the fuselage overnight, which makes a morning rinseless wash less effective—you need warm water and controlled conditions, which is why the Speedwings heated hangars matter. Glycol residue from Type I and Type IV fluids streaks the belly and nacelles, and if left through spring, it bakes onto the paint under stronger sunlight. A winter-to-spring transition decon cycle, scheduled for late March or early April, strips the glycol, treats any salt corrosion on the gear bays and preps the exterior for the warmer months.
Summer brings dust, insect strikes on the leading edges and UV exposure that degrades any wax or sealant applied in spring. A mid-summer wash-and-wax, typically in July, restores the hydrophobic layer and cleans the belly before autumn. Autumn is about preparation: a pre-winter exterior wash and polish in October seals the paint before the first de-icing cycle and reduces the effort needed for the spring decon. The twelve-month calendar accounts for these cycles, so you are not reacting to seasonal damage—you are staying ahead of it.
Questions operators ask about Fleet Care Program at Payerne (Swiss Aeropole)
Can the Fleet Care Program cover multiple aircraft at Payerne?
Yes, the program scales to any number of tail numbers, each with its own service calendar and monthly budget. The program is designed for fleets, and each aircraft receives its own service calendar, monthly invoice and documentation folder. If you operate three jets from Payerne, all three can be enrolled, with service dates offset so that detailing work does not ground the entire fleet on the same day. The fixed monthly cost per tail number simplifies budgeting, and the quarterly review covers the entire fleet's appearance trends.
What happens if our flight schedule changes mid-year?
The service calendar is adjusted at the quarterly review or on request if utilisation patterns shift. Flight schedules change—charter demand spikes, an aircraft goes into unscheduled maintenance, or you add a fourth tail number mid-contract. We review the calendar every quarter with your operations team, and if your utilisation has increased, we add quick-turn slots; if an aircraft is grounded, we pause its calendar and resume when it returns to service. Ad-hoc changes outside the quarterly review are handled by your dedicated contact, typically with forty-eight hours' notice.
Is the program available for light jets and turboprops at Payerne?
Light jets and turboprops are included only if they are part of a fleet program with at least one larger aircraft. We focus on super-midsize to ultra-long-range business jets and ACJ/BBJ aircraft. Light jets and turboprops are accepted within a fleet program if the fleet includes at least one qualifying aircraft—for example, a flight department with a Global and a Citation can enrol both. Stand-alone programs for light jets or turboprops alone are not offered.
How is the fixed monthly budget calculated?
The budget is based on the agreed service calendar: number of quick turns, interior deep-cleans and seasonal exterior cycles per year. At the start of the contract, we build a service calendar with your team—how many quick turns per month, how many deep interiors, how many seasonal exteriors and brightwork sessions. The total annual cost is calculated from that plan, then divided by twelve to give a fixed monthly figure per tail number. The budget includes up to two AOG callouts per quarter; additional AOG requests or scope changes (e.g., adding a mid-year cabin correction) are billed separately.
Can we pause the program if an aircraft leaves Payerne temporarily?
Yes, the calendar can be paused for up to sixty days per year without penalty if the aircraft relocates temporarily. If an aircraft leaves Payerne for a seasonal base, extended maintenance or a long charter series, the service calendar can be paused for up to sixty days within the twelve-month contract. The monthly invoice is suspended during the pause, and the calendar resumes when the aircraft returns. Pauses beyond sixty days are handled case-by-case, typically by pro-rating the remaining contract or extending the term.
Who manages the PPR and handling coordination at Payerne?
You or your handling agent manage the PPR through Swiss Aeropole's online portal; we coordinate directly with your handler for apron and hangar access. Payerne operates under a PPR regime managed by Swiss Aeropole through an online portal, and handling is mandatory. Your flight department or FBO handles the PPR filing and arranges handling through the Speedwings FBO. Once the PPR is confirmed, we coordinate directly with your handler to confirm apron access, hangar availability if needed and the service window. Our crew arrives airside with the handler's escort or under our own airside pass, depending on the visit type.
What does the quarterly appearance review involve?
A meeting with your operations team to review service history, photos and trends, and adjust the calendar if needed. Every three months, we sit down with your chief pilot, flight-department manager or operations lead—either in person at Payerne or via video call. We walk through the service history for each tail number, review before-and-after photos, discuss any recurring issues (e.g., persistent belly staining, cabin wear patterns) and recommend adjustments to the calendar. If an aircraft's utilisation has increased, we might add quick-turn slots; if paint condition is declining faster than expected, we might bring forward a polish cycle. The review ensures the program stays aligned with your operation.
Can the program include cabin corrections or leather repair?
Minor cabin corrections (spot treatment, leather conditioning) are included; larger repairs are quoted separately and scheduled within the calendar. The monthly interior deep-clean includes spot treatment for carpets, leather conditioning and minor scuff removal. If a seat shows deeper wear, a galley panel needs refinishing or a cabin element requires specialist repair, we flag it during the service visit, provide a quote and schedule the work within an upcoming calendar slot—typically during a longer maintenance window when the aircraft is already grounded. Major cabin refurbishment falls outside the program scope but can be coordinated as a separate project.
What if we need detailing at another airport during the contract?
We can arrange detailing at other European airports; the cost is billed separately but fleet clients receive preferential rates. If one of your fleet aircraft diverts to another airport and needs detailing before continuing, contact your program manager. We operate across Europe and can mobilise a crew to most major and regional airports, subject to handler coordination and airside access. The service is billed separately from your Payerne monthly budget, but fleet clients receive the same preferential rates and priority scheduling. If the diversion is predictable (e.g., a seasonal charter base), we can add it to the quarterly review and plan recurring visits.
How does the program handle winter de-icing residue at Payerne?
A spring decon cycle, scheduled for late March or April, strips glycol and salt residue accumulated over winter. De-icing fluid and apron salt are unavoidable during Payerne's winter, and both leave residue on the belly, nacelles and gear bays. The twelve-month calendar includes a spring decon and polish cycle, typically scheduled for late March or early April, when temperatures are stable enough for outdoor work or the aircraft can be moved into the Speedwings heated hangar. The decon removes glycol streaks, treats any corrosion on metal surfaces and restores the paint's hydrophobic layer before summer UV exposure begins. The cycle is built into your fixed monthly budget, so there is no surprise invoice after winter.