Complete Detail at Olbia Costa Smeralda (LIEO)

What changes at Olbia Costa Smeralda between winter and summer?

Olbia Costa Smeralda sits at 37 feet elevation, three kilometres from Olbia town centre, with a single runway (05/23, 2,745 metres). The airport is slot-coordinated and traffic is almost entirely driven by Costa Smeralda tourism: July and August see 3,000 to 4,000 movements per month, while the rest of the year is quiet. Most airline routes are seasonal.

Three handling agents operate on the field: Eccelsa Aviation, which runs the General Aviation Terminal (opened 2009, approximately 4,000 square metres, with an aircraft-side wing sheltering types up to B737/A320); AviaVIP (Argos VIP Private Handling); and Sky Services. Eccelsa is the only FBO, controlled by airport operator Geasar, and its terminal operates 07:00–22:00 local with paid extensions available on request. During the summer peak, general aviation must file prior-permission-required with the operator; Avgas waits can reach 90 minutes between June and September, and Olbia Ground extends its hours to 06:00–22:00 UTC from 1 June through 30 September.

For a Complete Detail—typically two to five days in the hangar—the summer window demands early PPR filing and close coordination with your handler to lock in a slot. Outside peak season the airport is far more accommodating, and hangar availability improves markedly. Winter bookings also avoid the pollen and dust storms that arrive with the sirocco in spring and early summer.

Why does a Complete Detail take several days at Olbia?

A Complete Detail is not a turnaround wash. The exterior receives a full wash, then paint decontamination to lift bonded contamination—salt, industrial fallout, tree sap, insect residue—that washing alone will not remove. After decontamination we perform a single-stage machine polish to correct light oxidation, swirl marks and haze, restoring gloss and depth to the paint. Brightwork is polished separately. The interior is stripped, vacuumed, cleaned, conditioned and dressed; galley, lavatories and all hard surfaces are detailed and disinfected. The flight deck receives a no-touch avionics clean.

Each stage must cure or dry before the next begins. Paint correction cannot be rushed; the polisher works panel by panel under controlled lighting. Cabin materials—leather, Alcantara, veneer, carpet—require different chemistries and dwell times. We also photograph the aircraft before we begin and again at completion, so you have a dated record of condition. The entire process takes between two and five days depending on aircraft size, the state of the paint and the complexity of the cabin.

What does the coastal climate do to the aircraft between visits?

Olbia sits on the Tyrrhenian coast. Salt haze drifts inland from the sea and settles on every surface; it bonds to paint, collects in panel gaps and dulls brightwork. Pollen arrives in spring—pine, olive, Mediterranean scrub—and turns to a sticky film in the heat. Summer dust from the sirocco coats the belly and gear bays. If the aircraft spends July and August moving between coastal airports, the paint will show it: a flat, hazy finish, micro-scratching from improper washing, and contamination that a dry wash cannot remove.

Inside, sand and salt are walked into the cabin on shoes. Galley and lavatory surfaces accumulate biofilm if the aircraft sits for more than a few days in the heat. Leather dries out. Carpets trap grit. A full interior detail strips all of that away, disinfects high-touch surfaces and reconditions materials so they stay supple. If the aircraft is based here through the season, a Complete Detail in May and another in September keeps it ahead of the damage.

How do you coordinate hangar access and airside logistics for a multi-day detail?

We work through your nominated handler—Eccelsa, AviaVIP or Sky Services—to arrange hangar space, ground power, towing if required, and airside escort. The handler files the PPR (mandatory during summer peak), confirms the slot and secures the stand or hangar bay for the agreed window. We bring our own water and waste-recovery equipment; if the airport has water restrictions or environmental rules, we adapt the process accordingly.

Once the aircraft is on the ground and handed over, we conduct a walk-round with the captain or the handling agent, photograph the exterior and cabin, and note any areas of concern in the tech log if requested. The aircraft is then towed into the hangar or positioned on a sheltered stand under the General Aviation Terminal wing if weather and schedule permit. We maintain contact with the handler throughout the detail so that any change to the departure slot is communicated immediately. At handover we walk you through the work, provide the photographic report and confirm that all panels, access doors and covers are secure.

Is a Complete Detail at Olbia Costa Smeralda a recurring programme or a one-off?

Both. Some operators schedule a Complete Detail once or twice a year: in May before the charter season begins, and again in September before the aircraft heads north or enters maintenance. Others call when the aircraft is about to be listed for sale, or when a pre-buy inspection is imminent and first impressions matter. We also see aircraft arrive after a long lease or a summer of intensive flying, when the cabin has taken a beating and the paint has lost its gloss.

If the aircraft is based at Olbia or operates frequently into Sardinia, a recurring programme makes sense: an Exterior Dry Wash or Rinseless Wash every four to six weeks through the season, with a Complete Detail in spring and autumn. That keeps contamination from bonding, preserves the polish and means the cabin never reaches the point where deep cleaning is needed. If the visit is one-off—a pre-sale detail, a post-season restoration—we treat it as a standalone project, document everything and deliver the aircraft in the condition the buyer or the chief pilot expects to see.

What is included in the photographic report?

Before we touch the aircraft, we photograph the exterior from all angles: nose, tail, both sides, belly, winglets, nacelles, leading edges, brightwork and any area with visible damage, staining or wear. Inside, we photograph the cabin from the main-cabin door aft, the galley, the lavatories, the flight deck (no-touch, no screens) and any areas the client flags—worn seat bolsters, stained carpet, scratched veneer. The images are time-stamped and stored.

At completion we repeat the process: same angles, same lighting where possible. You see exactly what was removed, what was corrected and what remains. The report is sent as a PDF or a secure link, and it becomes part of the aircraft's maintenance record if you choose. For pre-buy inspections or sales, the before-and-after set demonstrates due care and gives the buyer confidence that the aircraft has been looked after. For fleet operators, the reports build a history of condition over time, which helps plan future detailing intervals and budget for refurbishment.