Full Interior Detail at Avignon Provence (LFMV)

What does a full interior detail include at Avignon Provence?

Every surface a passenger or pilot touches is cleaned with materials approved for aircraft interiors. Leather seats and divans are cleaned with pH-neutral cleaner, then conditioned to restore suppleness and prevent cracking; we work each panel in sections to avoid streaking. Carpets and fabric upholstery are hot-water extracted, with pre-treatment on galley spills, red wine and ground-in dirt. Veneer, metal trim and plastic panels are polished to remove fingerprints and scuff marks without scratching the finish.

The galley receives a commercial-kitchen standard clean: every drawer, bin and surface is degreased, drains are flushed, seals wiped, and stainless steel polished. The lavatory is stripped and disinfected, including the toilet bowl, sink, mirror and waste flap. In the flight deck we use no-touch procedures around avionics, cleaning only yokes, throttles, seats, sidewalls and windows with approved wipes and sprays. If requested, we finish with a broad-spectrum cabin disinfectant applied by electrostatic sprayer or manual mist.

Duration ranges from four hours in a light jet to ten in an ultra-long-range cabin with multiple zones. The aircraft remains on GPU throughout; we bring our own extraction equipment, lighting and waste disposal. At handover you receive a digital photo report and a tech-log entry ready for signature.

What changes at Avignon Provence that affects the detail?

Avignon sits at 124 feet elevation with a single paved runway—17/35, approximately 1,880 metres—that handles all business-jet movements. Two grass strips exist but serve only ultralights and light piston aircraft. The airport positions itself as fully adapted to business aviation, with a dedicated 120-square-metre terminal and executive lounge opened in March 2009, plus hangars reserved for corporate aircraft. Handling agents present at the airport co-ordinate airside access for third-party service crews; because the terminal is compact and business-aviation-focused, escort and badging are straightforward.

Avignon is not slot-coordinated and does not appear on COHOR Level 2 or 3 lists, so arrival and departure times flex around maintenance or detailing windows rather than the reverse. Customs clearance is available on request, which simplifies non-Schengen arrivals when an owner wants the cabin refreshed before onward positioning. The Provençal summer is hot and dry; cabin air conditioning runs continuously on the ramp, meaning GPU must stay connected and any door-open work is scheduled for early morning or late afternoon to avoid heat soak and crew fatigue.

How do you co-ordinate a full interior detail with the handler at Avignon?

We notify the handler at least 48 hours before the slot, providing crew names, passport or ID numbers, vehicle registration and mobile contact for airside-pass processing. If the detail will exceed four hours or involve extraction equipment, we also share an equipment manifest so the handler can arrange a stand with adequate drainage and confirm GPU availability. The handler briefs us on any hot-refuel, catering or concurrent maintenance so we sequence our work to stay clear of fuel panels, cargo doors and technicians.

On arrival we check in at the business-aviation terminal, collect escort if required, and meet the captain or dispatcher on the ramp for a walkaround and key handover. We photograph the cabin before we start, note any pre-existing damage in the tech log, and agree a contact number for questions. At the end we invite the captain back aboard for a walkaround, hand over the photo report on a USB stick or via encrypted link, and leave a single-page checklist signed and dated. If the aircraft will remain overnight we also confirm that all hatches, panels and avionics are secured and that the GPU lead is safely stowed.

Why does Provence's climate matter for cabin interiors?

Provençal summers bring intense ultraviolet exposure and low humidity; leather dries out faster, and dust—much of it fine agricultural particulate—settles into carpet pile and seat stitching. Aircraft parked outside for more than a day often arrive with a visible haze on windows and a gritty film on armrests. Winter is mild but damp, and condensation can collect in door seals, galley drains and lavatory waste flaps if the cabin has been cold-soaked overnight.

A monthly full interior counters both extremes. Conditioning leather before it cracks is far cheaper than re-upholstery; extracting dust and pollen before it binds with spilled coffee keeps carpets from matting; and flushing galley drains prevents the sour smell that develops in warm, humid galleys. For aircraft based at Avignon through the summer we recommend pairing the interior detail with a exterior dry wash every four weeks, so that both paint and cabin stay ahead of the environment rather than reacting to it once damage is visible.

What is the difference between a turnaround wipe-down and a full interior detail?

A turnaround wipe-down—typically 60 to 90 minutes—resets the cabin between legs: we vacuum traffic areas, wipe galley counters and tables, clean the lavatory, empty bins and restock towels. It returns the aircraft to passenger-ready but does not treat stains, condition leather or extract embedded dirt. A full interior detail strips the cabin back: every seat is cleaned and conditioned, every carpet is hot-water extracted, every drawer and bin is pulled and wiped, and every surface is polished or disinfected.

Operators running frequent charter or shuttle flights schedule turnaround wipes after each leg and a full interior monthly or every fifty hours. Owner-flown aircraft with lighter utilisation may need only two or three full interiors per year, timed around seasonal travel peaks or before the aircraft goes to market. If you are unsure which service fits your schedule, send us your recent flight log and a photograph of the cabin; we will recommend a frequency that matches both utilisation and the cabin's current condition.

Can you complete a full interior detail during a crew rest or overnight stop?

Yes, provided the handler can offer either hangar space or a stand with reliable GPU and lighting. Most full interiors at Avignon are scheduled as day work—aircraft arrives mid-morning, detail runs four to eight hours, aircraft departs late afternoon—but we also support overnight details when the flight department needs the cabin ready at first light. Overnight work requires a two-person team, continuous power, and co-ordination with airport security for after-hours airside access.

We do not begin an overnight detail without a signed work order, a tech-log entry authorising the service, and a mobile number for the captain or dispatcher. If the aircraft will cold-soak overnight we ask that cabin heat be left on low to prevent condensation on windows and veneer during extraction. At the end we lock the aircraft, return keys to the handler or leave them in the agreed cockpit location, and send the photo report and invoice by email before we leave the airside. The handler receives a copy of the checklist so there is no ambiguity about who last touched the aircraft.