East Alton, IL — June 10, 2026, West Star Aviation is pleased to announce Jeff Messmer has been named Manager of Technical Sales, supporting the company’s operations in Perryville, Missouri, at Perryville Regional Airport (PCD).

A highly respected aviation professional with decades of maintenance, repair, and overhaul experience, Messmer brings exceptional technical knowledge, industry expertise, and a customer-first mindset to the role. His promotion reflects not only his long-standing dedication to West Star Aviation, but also the trust he has built with customers and colleagues throughout his career. This September, Jeff will mark 15 years with West Star Aviation.

Jeff is widely known for the passion and positive attitude he brings to everything he does. He has built his reputation by listening closely to customers, understanding the technical details of each project, and helping operators find the right solutions for their aircraft. His ability to combine deep airframe knowledge with practical service planning makes him an ideal fit to help support West Star’s continued response to customer needs at the Perryville location.

In his role as Manager of Technical Sales, Messmer will work closely with customers on technical evaluations, airframe modifications, maintenance planning, and refurbishment projects. His experience across a wide range of aircraft platforms and services allows him to offer valuable guidance throughout the planning and execution of maintenance events.

Messmer’s aviation career began in the U.S. Army, where he served for six years as an Aircraft Structural Technician and as a Desert Shield veteran. That experience laid the foundation for a career built on discipline, technical precision, and service. Over the years, he has continued to expand his expertise through hands-on work and specialized training across major airframes, including the Gulfstream III, Falcon 2000EX, and Learjet 45/45XR. After joining West Star, he also served as Operations Manager. In every role, he has demonstrated a strong commitment to excellence, customer service, and the advancement of the aviation industry.

Based at West Star’s Perryville facility, Messmer will continue bringing the same energy, dedication, and technical insight that have defined his career. His promotion represents a meaningful next step for both Jeff and the team he supports, and it reflects West Star Aviation’s ongoing commitment to matching expertise with customer needs.

About West Star Aviation
With more than 79 years of industry experience, West Star Aviation stands as a leading independent Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) provider. Employing over 3,000 professionals, West Star offers comprehensive services from our strategically located full-service facilities in East Alton, IL; Grand Junction, CO; Chattanooga, TN; Millville, NJ; Perryville, MO; and Statesville, NC, as well as satellite locations in Denver, Houston, Minneapolis, Chicago and Addison. The company’s extensive capabilities encompass maintenance, paint, interior, and avionics services, supported by the largest Aircraft On Ground (AOG) network in the country, ensuring prompt and reliable mobile repair services nationwide.

East Alton, IL — June 5th, 2026 — West Star Aviation is seeing strong early benefits from its March acquisition of DC Jet as it continues to strengthen its AOG (Aircraft on Ground) capabilities ahead of the busy summer season.

With calls into West Star Aviation’s dedicated AOG control center already increasing, the added technician headcount and expanded tooling resources gained through the acquisition are enhancing the company’s ability to respond to customer needs quickly and efficiently. The increased staffing availability is already proving beneficial as demand rises, giving West Star greater flexibility to service more aircraft across its network.

West Star Aviation operates a dedicated AOG control center staffed by 12 controllers who provide support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This around-the-clock coverage allows the team to coordinate rapid response and dispatch technicians when customers need immediate maintenance support.

In May, West Star Aviation experienced record AOG request volume while also achieving a new record acceptance rate of 84%, underscoring the strength of its expanded capabilities and its ability to meet growing customer demand.

West Star’s AOG vans are outfitted with the proper tooling to complete each job as quickly and safely as possible, further strengthening the company’s ability to return aircraft to service with minimal downtime. In addition, West Star’s AOG team has access to tooling and ground support equipment (GSE) across the company’s nationwide network, helping ensure technicians are equipped for the unique requirements of any job they may encounter.

West Star Aviation’s in-house training program also allows the company to train technicians more efficiently, reducing reliance on outside training sources and helping prepare its workforce to meet rising service demands.

With AOG technicians available across the United States, West Star Aviation continues to build on its ability to deliver responsive, nationwide support and meet customer needs when time matters most.

“The added resources have strengthened our ability to support customers at a critical time of year,” said Gary Lee, Vice President of AOG. “As demand rises, we now have over 250 technicians, essential to meeting our customers’ needs when no one ever plans to be grounded. The benefits include expanded availability, increased tooling resources, and a 24/7 control center. With access to tooling and GSE across our network, we’re poised to respond quickly, safely, and effectively wherever our customers need us.”

About West Star Aviation
With more than 79 years of industry experience, West Star Aviation stands as a leading independent Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) provider. Employing over 3,000 professionals, West Star offers comprehensive services from our strategically located full-service facilities in East Alton, IL; Grand Junction, CO; Chattanooga, TN; Millville, NJ; Perryville, MO; and Statesville, NC, as well as satellite locations in Denver, Houston, Minneapolis, Chicago, and Addison. The company’s extensive capabilities encompass maintenance, paint, interior, and avionics services, supported by the largest Aircraft On Ground (AOG) network in the country, ensuring prompt and reliable mobile repair services nationwide.

East Alton, IL- June 2, 2026 — West Star Aviation is proud to announce the establishment of a new satellite location in Addison, Texas, marking the fifth West Star Aviation satellite and expanding capabilities to better serve operators across the Dallas metroplex.

The Addison location represents a key milestone as the newest West Star Aviation satellite and a strategic addition to serve the Dallas area with enhanced onsite access and regional coverage. The site features a 40,000-square-foot hangar, supporting expanded maintenance and repair capabilities for the region.

The Addison satellite will provide scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, AOG support, installations and upgrades, and inspections up to 12 and 24 months. The operation will showcase an advanced avionics upgrade capability supported by our structural and engineering expertise, giving customers a clear path to upgrades and reliable service.

Dallas is an ideal hub for a West Star Aviation satellite, with Robert Harris as Satellite Manager overseeing day-to-day operations alongside onsite engineering resources. Current services operate during daytime hours, with plans to extend to seven-day-a-week coverage to meet growing demand.

This expansion reflects strong demand from operators who need experienced technicians, state-of-the-art tooling, and ample hangar space. The Addison team has expansive tooling and highly skilled aviation professionals who are ready to deliver faster, more comprehensive service for scheduled maintenance, AOG support, and complex upgrades.

“​​This expansion is more than a new location. It is a commitment to our customers,” said Robert Harris, Satellite Manager. “The Addison hangar footprint, combined with our experienced team and the specialized tools we have invested in, enables us to deliver faster, more comprehensive service, whether it is scheduled maintenance, AOG support, or complex upgrades. It is an exciting milestone for West Star Aviation and the Dallas community.”

To celebrate this expansion, West Star Aviation is planning a grand opening event at Addison Airport later this month.

About West Star Aviation
With more than 79 years of industry experience, West Star Aviation stands as a leading independent Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) provider. Employing over 3,000 professionals, West Star offers comprehensive services from our strategically located full-service facilities in East Alton, IL; Grand Junction, CO; Chattanooga, TN; Millville, NJ; Perryville, MO; and Statesville, NC, as well as satellite locations in Denver, Houston, Minneapolis, Chicago, and Addison. The company’s extensive capabilities encompass maintenance, paint, interior, and avionics services, supported by the largest Aircraft On Ground (AOG) network in the country, ensuring prompt and reliable mobile repair services nationwide.

East Alton, IL, April 30, 2026 – West Star Aviation announced today the appointment of Christi Tannahill as an ambassador. In this role, Tannahill will collaborate closely with West Star’s leadership and client-facing teams to elevate customer experience, expand strategic partnerships, and further strengthen the company’s position as a trusted partner within the aviation industry.

Tannahill is a senior aviation executive with more than 30 years of industry experience, including 17 years on the senior leadership team at Textron Aviation. Her background spans product development, customer experience, and interior and exterior engineering, with a proven record of delivering strategies that align operational performance with long-term customer value.

During her tenure at Textron Aviation, Tannahill led customer experience initiatives supporting annual deliveries of more than 220 aircraft and directed product development and strategy that resulted in eleven new product offerings over a six-year period. She also oversaw interior and exterior engineering and design and launched a comprehensive customer advisory board strategy to deliver solutions based on customer engagement and feedback.

Tannahill’s ability to build trusted relationships with customers and fleet operators will directly benefit West Star clients. Her cross-functional leadership experience across engineering, marketing, and service support enhances West Star’s ability to anticipate customer needs and deliver consistent, reliable solutions. In addition, her extensive network within the Beechcraft and Cessna Citation customer base creates opportunities to increase awareness of West Star’s services and support sustained demand.

As an ambassador, Tannahill will work with West Star’s leadership to advance customer-focused initiatives and strengthen service and support capabilities. She will support backlog management priorities, contribute to strategy development across key customer segments, and help shape programs that enhance service quality, reliability, and overall customer satisfaction.

“We are honored to welcome Christi as an ambassador,” said Stephen Maiden, Chief Executive Officer of West Star Aviation. “Her decades of leadership experience, customer-first mindset, and deep industry relationships will be instrumental in expanding our partnerships and elevating the experience we deliver to our customers.”

“I am excited to collaborate with West Star’s teams and customers to enhance service excellence and drive meaningful value,” said Tannahill. “This ambassador role aligns with my passion for advancing aviation through strong relationships, thoughtful product strategy, and a relentless focus on the customer journey.”

About West Star Aviation
With more than 79 years of industry experience, West Star Aviation stands as a leading independent Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) provider. Employing over 3,000 professionals, West Star offers comprehensive services from our strategically located full-service facilities in East Alton, IL; Grand Junction, CO; Chattanooga, TN; Millville, NJ; Perryville, MO; and Statesville, NC, as well as satellite locations in Denver, Houston, Minneapolis, and Chicago. The company’s extensive capabilities encompass maintenance, paint, interior, and avionics services, supported by the largest Aircraft On Ground (AOG) network in the country, ensuring prompt and reliable mobile repair services nationwide.