Spacious German wartime aircraft hangars and bunkers at Finsterwalde have been modernised to provide bespoke hangarage where owners and operators can store, maintain or charter out under-used jets.

The project currently involves three organisations that coordinate services under the umbrella name of Sky-Harbour Services - PEAK Air, the AOC partner; Aircraft Maintenance & Consulting, which has Part 145 authorisation, and HSP Law, the organisation able to provide legal advice.

Henri-Pierre Hirts, md PEAK Air, says: "Built by the German Wehrmacht these spacious wartime bunkers, the last of their kind in size and restored condition in Europe, have been modernised to provide bespoke hangared facilities." He adds: "The storage and maintenance facility is only 100 kilometres from Berlin and we have customised the hangars to take any aircraft including BBJs, Globals or turbos. All of our services will be provided and coordinated through Sky-Harbour Services, the first strategic alliance of its type for corporate aviation. Our service locations are not confined to Germany alone, however we provide currently a safe and secure hangared or apron storage environment in Germany to accommodate aircraft up to the size of a B737."

Bookings have already been taken for space in three customised hangars providing up to 12,000 m2 of storage and Hirts reports growing interest from OEMs as well as charter operators. "The facility is very definitely targeted at commercial operators or individuals and not at OEMs who want bulk storage, although they could negotiate some space, because we want to build a diversified private charter client base and reduce systemic risk through our strategic and risk-share alliance concept."

The package of services includes aircraft maintenance, AOC provision, aircraft repossession, the decom-missioning and re-commissioning of aircraft, consulting, transaction management and the buying and selling of aircraft including services needed for the operation and management of aircraft.

Hirts says that the German facility has space to rent on a flat fee pay-as-you-go basis to enable owners and operators to keep aircraft safely and cost-effectively at a strategic central European location during downtime. It was planned before the global economic downturn.

But: "It is certainly an idea that has proved timely. Operators can cut the costs of having to keep aircraft on the ground. The hangars are also a way of increasing the aircraft management base of PEAK Air. Obviously we can manage and maintain aircraft for owners as well as store them if the need is for a safe haven until charter demand picks up."

Aircraft currently on PEAK Air's books include the Premier 1A and King Airs. The PEAK Air Team has provided aviation services for over 10 years, diversifying into commercial business aircraft services 18 months ago.