Fleet Care Program at Annecy Mont Blanc (LFLP)

Who books the Fleet Care Program at Annecy?

The programme is designed for operators with aircraft based at LFLP or returning on a predictable cycle: corporate flight departments running a single tail or small fleet, charter companies with regular ski-season positioning, and FBOs managing client aircraft through the winter months. It suits any operation where the same tail numbers appear often enough to justify a standing service calendar rather than booking each visit separately.

We also see fractional operators and management companies using the programme when an owner's primary home or business is in the Annecy basin and the aircraft sits on stand between trips. The twelve-month structure spreads appearance costs evenly and removes the need to negotiate scope or price each time the aircraft returns. You receive one invoice per month, one point of contact, and a service history file that travels with the airframe.

What changes at Annecy Mont Blanc for a detailing crew?

Annecy sits at 1521 feet elevation, three and a half kilometres north-west of the city centre, with a single paved runway—04/22, 1598 metres—and a parallel grass strip used seasonally. The airport operates seven days a week from 08:00 to 19:00 local during the winter period, with the control tower open 09:00 to 19:00. All detailing work must fit inside those hours; there are no night operations, so any exterior wash or cabin deep-clean has to start early enough to finish before the airport closes.

VINCI Airports runs the business-aviation terminal and FBO services. Since 2013 the airport has been oriented almost entirely to private and charter traffic, with no scheduled airline service, so ramp activity is light and stand availability is rarely an issue. Handling agents present at the airport coordinate airside access for our crew; we carry our own escort and equipment, but the handler controls movement around the apron and expects advance notice for any third-party service provider.

Alpine weather drives the detailing calendar. Winter brings road salt, de-icing residue, and cold-soaked airframes that need time to warm before a rinseless wash. Spring pollen season coats every surface. Summer is the easiest window for exterior work, and autumn is when we schedule brightwork and single-stage polish before the first snow. The programme adapts the service mix to the season so the aircraft is always ready without unnecessary visits.

How does the twelve-month calendar work around flight schedules?

At the start of the programme we build a service calendar with your operations team: monthly interior cleans, quarterly exteriors, and seasonal brightwork or decon work, all mapped to your typical flight pattern. If the aircraft usually returns Thursday evenings and departs Monday mornings, we schedule the interior for Friday. If you fly daily during ski season, we plan quick turns between legs and save the deeper work for a known down day.

The calendar is a guide, not a constraint. When your schedule changes—an owner trip moves forward, a charter leg is added, weather delays a positioning flight—you call or message, and we shift the service to the new window. Priority crew allocation means we hold capacity for your tails first; AOG requests jump the queue entirely. Every completed service is logged with photos and notes, so you can see what was done, what was deferred, and what needs attention next time.

What does priority access and AOG cover actually mean?

Priority crew allocation reserves detailing capacity for your aircraft ahead of transient requests. If you have a fleet of three tails in the programme and all three happen to land the same afternoon, we staff accordingly. If a charter competitor calls for a wash the same day, they wait or get offered the next available slot.

AOG cover means that if an aircraft goes unserviceable and you need the cabin turned around while maintenance works, or the exterior cleaned before a ferry flight for inspection, we respond within the day—often within hours—regardless of what else is scheduled. The twenty-four-hour contact line reaches a duty manager who can dispatch a crew to Annecy or coordinate with your handler if the aircraft has diverted. AOG priority is part of the programme fee; there is no separate call-out charge, though the work itself is billed as an extra service if it falls outside the monthly scope.

How does the fixed monthly budget work across seasons?

Each tail number in the programme has a fixed monthly fee that covers the agreed service calendar: typically one interior clean, one exterior wash or dry wash, and a share of the seasonal brightwork or decon visit. The budget is calculated at the start of the twelve months based on aircraft type, expected utilisation, and the level of finish you want to maintain—whether that is operational clean or showroom standard.

The fixed fee smooths the cost across the year. A heavy exterior and brightwork session in April might cost more than a quick interior in July if billed separately, but under the programme you pay the same amount every month. Services outside the calendar—an extra wash after a dusty positioning flight, an unscheduled cabin detail before an owner trip, AOG work—are billed separately at the end of the month, itemised on the same invoice.

At the quarterly appearance review we compare the service log against the budget and adjust the calendar if needed. If the aircraft has flown less than expected, we might defer a wash; if it has picked up more deicing residue than usual, we add a rinse. The goal is to keep the aircraft consistently presentable without paying for work it does not need.

What happens with handler coordination and airside access at Annecy?

Our crew holds a valid airside pass and brings all equipment—water, power, cleaning agents, vacuum, polish—so we do not depend on airport infrastructure beyond access to the stand. Before each service we notify the handling agent present at the airport, confirm the aircraft's parking position, and agree a start time that does not conflict with refuelling, catering, or maintenance. The handler expects us to check in at the terminal, show the airside pass, and follow their movement instructions on the ramp.

If the aircraft is inside a hangar, we coordinate directly with your maintenance provider or the FBO. Most exterior work happens on stand; cabin interiors can be done on stand or in a hangar depending on weather and whether the aircraft is connected to a GPU. We carry our own lighting and power supply for interiors, so a dark hangar is not a problem. The handler is copied on the service report after each visit, and we note any observations—panel fit, paint chips, loose brightwork—that might need maintenance attention.