Airplane

What Airplane does

Airplane is a privately-held French aviation services group operating from Toulouse Francazal Airport in Cugnaux, France. Founded in 2002 by Ersun Arslan as AIRPLANE PAINTER, the company pioneered the concept of modular, portable paint booths with oblique-flow ventilation that allows aircraft to be painted in situ inside maintenance hangars, eliminating the need to relocate aircraft to dedicated paint facilities. The group is structured as three wholly-owned subsidiaries under the parent entity Caglayan Arslan SAS: AIRPLANE PAINTER (aircraft painting, established 2002), AIRPLANE DELIVERY (EASA Part 145 MRO, established 2016), and AIRPLANE TECHNICS (3D design, certification, and technical markings, established 2020). The group remains family-controlled with no external institutional investment disclosed, and is led operationally by CEO Alain Gaudon alongside the Arslan family.

The company's core offering is an integrated one-stop-shop model combining aircraft painting and MRO maintenance at a single 10,000 m² facility, serving commercial airlines, aircraft lessors, and regional aircraft operators globally. AIRPLANE PAINTER has completed over 2,500 painting projects worldwide at a current throughput of approximately 150 aircraft per year (one aircraft every five days), while AIRPLANE DELIVERY handles over 230 aircraft per year for base maintenance, line checks (A, C, 2Y, 4Y, 8Y, 36K), AOG response, engine and propeller replacements, STC/SB modifications, and cabin refurbishment. AIRPLANE TECHNICS provides 3D livery conception, stencil design, and certification tooling. The business holds an extensive regulatory footprint with Part 145 certifications across EASA, UK CAA, ANAC Brazil, TCCA Canada, GACA Saudi Arabia, and multiple African and island jurisdictions.

Airplane generates revenue through project-based, quote-priced contracts for individual aircraft services, including complete repaints, livery redesigns, lease-return painting, scheduled heavy maintenance, and emergency AOG deployment. Mobile painting teams also deliver on-site services internationally, with recent projects completed in Canada, Morocco, and Turkey. The customer base is diversified across more than a dozen named major international airlines (Air New Zealand, Air France, Turkish Airlines, Iberia, SAS, TAP, Garuda Indonesia, Azul, Loganair, among others) and 300+ aircraft lessors (NAC, DAE, SOLENTA). Disclosed annual revenue exceeded €12 million as of 2021 with double-digit growth projected, supported by ongoing headcount expansion (approximately 100 employees in 2021 with 40+ new hires planned for 2022) and planned investments in new workshops, a training center, and green aircraft maintenance capabilities.

Name

Airplane

Legal name

Caglayan Arslan

Website

https://airplane.aero

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Airplane is a French aviation services group operating from Toulouse Francazal Airport, providing integrated aircraft painting, EASA Part 145 MRO maintenance, and 3D design services to commercial airlines, aircraft lessors, and regional operators globally through three family-owned subsidiaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aviation MRO and Aircraft Painting Services

NAICS

Other Support Activities for Air Transportation (48819)

akta.pro primary industry

Aircraft Painting & Surface Treatment (IMABALAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Aircraft Painting, Stripping & Exterior Finishing (TLAKAJAH), Aerospace Interior Materials & Components (Cabin) (IMABANAI)

Keywords

• Aircraft painting services
• Aircraft maintenance services
• MRO services
• AOG support
• Aircraft livery design

Headquarters

HQ city

Cugnaux

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Aircraft Painting Services: Complete aircraft painting services including livery design, chemical stripping, masking, painting, and quality control. Revenue generated from per-aircraft painting projects for airlines, lessors, and aircraft operators.
2. Aircraft Maintenance (MRO) Services: Base maintenance, line maintenance, checks (A, C, 2Y, 4Y, 8Y, 36K), AOG services, engine/gear/propeller replacements, STC/SB modifications, cabin refurbishment, cargo conversion. Part 145 certified maintenance services.
3. Technical Design Services: 3D conception, livery design, stencil and technical markings (interior and exterior), tool design for paint application. Supports painting and maintenance operations.
4. Aircraft Storage Services: Short-term, long-term aircraft storage and immobilization services at Toulouse Francazal facility with 10,000 m2 of covered workshop space.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Airplane is an aviation service center operating three integrated service lines at Toulouse Francazal Airport: AIRPLANE PAINTER provides complete aircraft painting and livery design using proprietary modular paint booths; AIRPLANE DELIVERY delivers EASA Part 145 certified aircraft maintenance, checks, modifications, and AOG support for regional aircraft; AIRPLANE TECHNICS offers 3D design, certification, and technical markings. The group serves airlines, aircraft lessors, and regional operators worldwide as a one-stop shop combining painting and maintenance in a single location.

Product overview

Airplane is an aviation service center offering three integrated services: AIRPLANE PAINTER (aircraft painting with 30+ years of experience across 2,500+ projects), AIRPLANE DELIVERY (EASA Part 145 certified MRO handling 230+ aircraft annually), and AIRPLANE TECHNICS (3D design and technical markings). The group provides a 'one-stop-shop' model allowing customers to complete paint, maintenance, and technical work at a single location without requiring ferry flights.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AIRPLANE PAINTER: Aircraft painting services with over 30 years of experience, operating two modular paint shops of over 5000m2 each
• AIRPLANE DELIVERY
• AIRPLANE TECHNICS

Products and services

• AIRPLANE PAINTER Aircraft painting services provider offering complete paint work from surface preparation to final coating, including chemical stripping, masking, sanding, livery design, complex multi-color liveries (gradients, metallic, mica), and repainting. Operates two modular paint shops of over 5,000 m² combined at Toulouse Francazal Airport, with throughput of one aircraft every five days. Serves commercial airlines, aircraft lessors, and business aviation operators globally.
• AIRPLANE DELIVERY EASA Part 145 certified aircraft maintenance and MRO services operating across 10,000 m² at Toulouse Francazal Airport. Handles over 230 aircraft per year including Checks A, C, 2Y, 4Y, 8Y, 36K, AOG services, engine/landing gear/propeller replacements, STC/SB modifications, cabin refurbishment, cargo conversion, and aircraft storage. Holds multiple international certifications (EASA, UK CAA, ANAC Brazil, ANAC Gabon, TCCA, GACA, DCA Mauritius, Guernsey 2-REG, Cape Verde). Capacity for up to 5 regional aircraft simultaneously with global AOG rapid response.
• AIRPLANE TECHNICS 3D design and technical marking services for aircraft liveries and cabin configurations. Creates aircraft liveries using 3D design tools, develops stencils and technical markings (interior and exterior), and designs associated tools for quick paint application and controlled costs. Supports the painting and maintenance operations of AIRPLANE PAINTER and AIRPLANE DELIVERY.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1 aircraft painted every 5 days
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• SR Technics: Switzerland-based global MRO provider offering base maintenance, component services, and engine MRO for commercial fleets. A larger incumbent competitor that could enter or expand in regional aircraft painting and ATR/Embraer services.
• Sabena Technics: French-headquartered major MRO provider with integrated painting, base maintenance, and modifications across multiple sites. Operates in the same Toulouse ecosystem as Airplane and competes for overlapping airline and military customers, but at materially larger scale.

Direct peers

• Magnetic MRO: Estonia-based MRO focused on regional aircraft (ATR, Boeing 737, Airbus A320) base maintenance, painting, and line services. Closely comparable in scale, customer mix, and aircraft type specialization to Airplane Delivery/Painter.
• FL Technics: Lithuania-headquartered regional aircraft MRO with base and line maintenance, painting, and component services across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Overlaps with Airplane in target customer base (regional carriers, lessors) and aircraft types.
• MAAS Aviation: Ireland-headquartered aircraft painting specialist operating multiple paint shops in Europe and the US. Directly comparable to Airplane Painter in business model, customer segments (airlines, lessors), and delivery of base maintenance and paint services under one roof.
• Air Livery: UK-based specialist in aircraft painting and exterior finishing, serving airlines and lessors. Closest direct competitor to Airplane Painter, with a similar focus on livery design, chemical stripping, and repaints for commercial and regional aircraft.

Peers

• Etihad Engineering:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/airplane-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/airplane_group
• Xx.com/AirplaneGroup

Compliance13 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Airplane