Alexis Javkin, executive vice president of strategic maintenance and supplier management at JSSI, recently sat down with BAM Magazine to discuss his role, customer relationships, and JSSI’s growth over the last few years. Read the full profile below. 

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Q: Alexis, can you take us through what you were doing before you joined JSSI, and what attracted you to the company? 

AJ: I was a JSSI customer for many years and was very impressed with the level of service and commitment the people in the organization showed. In my previous role I worked for a large operator in Mexico (Aerolíneas Ejecutivas) as CEO of ALE Service Center and Group Vice President for ALE’s fractional, jet card, and charter business. In my relationship with JSSI over time, it became clear to me that JSSI was far more dynamic than the vast majority of companies in business aviation.  

It was striking how many of their people were very highly skilled, with several people choosing to stay with JSSI for decades. That speaks volumes. When I got the chance to join the company, I didn’t hesitate. It was an exciting change for me to become part of this innovative team and evolving organization. A few months into my new role, I continue to be impressed with JSSI’s culture. You get the feeling that everyone is really focused on the job and what they can bring. This makes it a great place to work. 

Q: How has 2024 been for JSSI so far? 

AJ: This has been an amazing year for the company in a number of respects. We have seen strong results and JSSI’s worldwide footprint has continue to grow.  

Of course, there are also challenges as the industry still adapts to the post-Covid era. The business aviation industry grew by some 50 to 60 percent from 2019 to 2021, and such an accelerated level of growth brings its own stresses and strains.  

This has affected all aspects of the industry. The OEMs have a very strong order book, and we still see delays with new deliveries, we continue to experience supply chain issues, and MRO slots are tight. There are shortages in technicians and pilots that continues to limit capacity on the operational side for so many players. 

JSSI has continued to see growth throughout this period, a testament to the value of the technical team and service organization through these times, always pushing to find solutions. When a client signs with us, they trend to stay. This is much thanks to our technical team and client service, something I experienced and valued as a customer. 

Q: JSSI has been constantly expanding the range of services it provides. Can you take us through that? 

AJ: JSSI has a full portfolio of services, supporting every stage of the aircraft lifecycle. We can provide support all the way from the pre-acquisition analysis phase, to providing hourly cost maintenance (HCM) programs, and maintenance tracking software. JSSI has evolved tremendously in the last few years. It’s an exciting time to be part of a business that is now connected to virtually every facet of business aviation. Today our product offerings go far beyond HCM programs and include aircraft financing (JSSI Aviation Capital); Conklin & de Decker & Traxxall maintenance tracking (JSSI Software); consulting (JSSI Advisory Services); and parts business (JSSI Parts & Leasing). 

JSSI’s HCM programs are still at the core of our offerings – available for virtually all engines, APUs, and airframes —and give customers flexible and affordable tools for managing the costs of operating and maintaining aircraft. Our tech team is the backbone of our entire organization: the service clients buy beyond the financial product. It is up to the rest of us to back up that department and to ensure that together we build strong relationships with customers. This is especially important as the vast majority of aircraft owners do not have technical backgrounds in aircraft maintenance, nor do they ever buy jets to experience issues and delays – a strong technical team is invaluable.  

Aircraft maintenance is complex. This is where we come in. Through a simple hourly rate, the owner knows that his or her aircraft is going to be properly maintained and that the cost is a fixed, steady amount. It’s our job to make sure maintenance is performed to the highest quality and safety standards. In other words, we act as the customer’s professional technical advisor – or an extension to their maintenance team. 

Q: How do you keep the relationship with the customer fresh and meaningful? 

AJ: Customer service is how we differentiate ourselves. JSSI clients have one point of contact for everything they may need: AOG support, part needs, anything where we can assist. We act as the liaison between our customers and MROs: an independent advocate, technical eyes and ears for the customer – ensuring that everything is done appropriately and properly. Ultimately, our customers care about aircraft uptime. We provide the necessary tools and financial programs to keep their aircraft flying. 

We have evolved as an organization to meet needs far beyond HCM programs, and the additional services we can provide has in many ways deepened and strengthened our client relationships as well. 

Q: Does JSSI cover all ages of aircraft? 

AJ: We have a diverse and broad customer base – including clients that operate both new and legacy platforms. Our HCM programs cover aircraft of all ages – across virtually any make or model and asset type. This is unique to JSSI and our independence.  

The key to supporting out-of-production models lies in the experience of our technical team, dedicated product line specialists’ group, and in our inventory strategy. When we see gaps in the supply chain, we invest in parts and rental assets to support both our clients and the broader industry. Our Parts & Leasing business has grown significantly over the last 10 years, and today we have over 100,000 parts in stock, multiple strategic warehouse locations, and over 70 engines and APUs in our rental pool.  

The vast amount of data on engines and airframes that we have built up over time helps us be proactive on behalf of our clients, utilizing our unique maintenance data to plan for future maintenance and trends.  

Q: The global economy has still not recovered fully from the pandemic. There are still ongoing supply bottlenecks. How is that affecting JSSI? 

AJ: The last few years have presented an opportunity to further improve our response and agility dealing with challenges in the supply chain. JSSI adapted quickly to the growth surge that the industry experienced coming out of Covid. Our large network of MRO vendors and internal team of over 100 technical advisors and product line specialists located around the world is a huge advantage: making sure we have coverage everywhere our clients are, and local relationships to solve problems quickly and efficiently. 

Best of all, we are not a company that labors under a huge decision chain. We can move fast as new ideas or issues present themselves. We take pride in our flexibility, innovation, and problem-solving – all core to JSSI. This makes us optimistic about our ability to respond to whatever challenges and opportunities lie ahead. 

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Article is available in BAM Magazine’s Fall edition – view here.