Ceramic Coating at Split Kaštela (LDSP)

Why bring an aircraft to Split Kaštela for ceramic coating?

Split sits at the centre of a high-UV, salt-laden coastal environment—exactly the conditions that accelerate paint oxidation and brightwork corrosion. Aircraft based here or making repeated summer visits accumulate contaminants quickly: sea spray, de-icing fluid residue from winter European legs, and industrial fallout from the bay. A ceramic coating applied now means every future wash takes half the time, the paint resists fluid staining during winter operations, and the hydrophobic layer sheds salt before it etches the clearcoat.

We see two patterns: owners scheduling the coating immediately after a European repaint, using Split as a logical first stop before the season, and flight departments adding it during a planned AOG or extended stopover when the aircraft would otherwise sit idle on the apron. Either way, the 78-foot elevation and sea-level density altitude make LDSP a straightforward departure even with a cold-soaked airframe in winter.

What changes at Split Kaštela in summer versus the rest of the year?

Between 29 March and 24 October 2026, Split operates as a Schedules Facilitated Airport around the clock. General and business aviation must agree arrival and departure times with the Traffic Coordinator or Ground OPS Centre no earlier than fourteen days before the flight. Stopovers longer than forty minutes depend on parking-stand availability, and aircraft without confirmed slots or parking can be refused landing. Universal Weather likewise flags mandatory slots. For a three-to-six-day ceramic project, this means your handler requests the parking stand and agrees the entire window—arrival, hangar occupancy, and departure—before you file.

Outside the summer season the airport reverts to normal operations, but stand availability still governs long stops. The single 2,550-metre asphalt runway 05/23 (code 4E) runs parallel to Kaštela Bay; prevailing winds and the coastal fetch rarely close the field, though afternoon thermals in July and August (reference temperature 29 °C) can make the ride below five thousand feet less comfortable. For detailing, the hot-summer coastal climate accelerates ceramic cure times and ensures the coating cross-links properly before you depart.

How does the ceramic-coating process work at LDSP?

The aircraft moves into the hangar on day one. We start with a full decontamination wash—clay bar, iron remover, tar spots—then inspect the paint under high-intensity lighting to map scratches, swirls, and oxidation. Paint correction follows: we machine-polish every panel to remove defects and restore gloss, paying particular attention to leading edges, the belly, and nacelle inlets where abrasion is heaviest. Brightwork—window frames, cheat line, gear-door edges—receives its own polishing sequence before any coating touches the surface.

Once correction is complete we apply the first ceramic layer by hand, panel by panel, working in controlled humidity and temperature inside the hangar. The second layer goes on twelve to twenty-four hours later, depending on the product and ambient conditions. Windows and polished metal receive the same two-stage treatment. The aircraft then sits untouched for the remainder of the cure window—typically forty-eight to seventy-two hours—before we perform a final wipe-down, photograph the result, and release it back to the apron. You leave with a maintenance plan that specifies compatible wash chemistry and a warranty document tied to the coating batch.

What do handlers at Split Kaštela expect from a detailing crew?

Handling agents present at the airport want three things: an agreed schedule, proof of airside-pass holders, and no surprise towing requests. We submit our crew list and vehicle details forty-eight hours before the aircraft arrives, collect airside escorts if required, and confirm hangar access and GPU availability with the handler's ground-ops desk. Because parking stands are limited and slot coordination applies in summer, the handler needs to know exactly when the aircraft will vacate the apron and when it will return after the coating cures.

Inside the hangar we manage our own waste—spent polish, clay bars, used microfibre, chemical containers—and leave the space as we found it. If the aircraft needs a tow from stand to hangar or back, we arrange that through the handler at least twenty-four hours in advance; last-minute towing during peak summer hours often means waiting for a gap in scheduled traffic. The handler also expects us to respect hot-refuel restrictions, GPU handover protocols, and any airside speed limits, especially near the terminal apron where passenger movements cross service roads.

Can ceramic coating be scheduled around a charter or owner trip?

Yes, and it happens often. A common scenario: the aircraft delivers passengers to Split or a nearby island, then has four or five days before the return leg. Rather than reposition empty to another base, the flight department books the ceramic coating, the aircraft stays in the hangar, and it emerges protected and polished in time for the pickup. The key is locking in the parking stand and hangar window early—especially during the facilitated season—so the handler can confirm the entire block with the airport coordinator.

We also coordinate with maintenance stops. If the aircraft is already scheduled for a tech inspection, avionics upgrade, or interior work at a European shop, adding ceramic coating before or after makes logistical sense: the aircraft is already out of revenue service, the crew is positioned nearby, and the protection is applied when the paint is in known, documented condition. In that case we send the photo report and warranty document directly to the flight-department manager or chief pilot, and the maintenance plan goes into the tech log as a standing note for line crews.

What does the maintenance plan and warranty cover?

The maintenance plan is a one-page document listing compatible wash soaps, prohibited chemicals (anything high-pH or solvent-based), and the recommended wash interval—usually every four to six weeks depending on operating environment. It also specifies when to expect the coating to need renewal: typically twenty-four to thirty-six months for an aircraft flying European sectors, longer if the jet spends most of its time in climate-controlled hangars. We include batch numbers for the ceramic product, the application date, and ambient conditions during cure, so any future detailer knows exactly what is on the aircraft.

The warranty covers delamination, hazing, or loss of hydrophobic properties within the stated period, provided the maintenance plan is followed. It does not cover new paint damage—stone chips, bird strikes, ground-equipment contact—but it does mean that if the coating fails prematurely we will strip and reapply it at no charge. The warranty transfers with the aircraft if it is sold, which adds a line item to the pre-purchase survey and often becomes a selling point when the owner lists the jet.