UNSPSC 78181836: Aircraft fixed wing coating and painting service

Services associated with the exterior multi-step process to apply coating for the protection and appearance of the aircraft

UNSPSC 78181836 Aircraft fixed wing coating and painting service is a Commodity code that captures state and local procurement of aircraft exterior refinishing, including full-airframe stripping, repainting in custom schemes, and associated surface preparation and sealing work. The code also encompasses related aircraft appearance services such as cabin window resealing, deicer boot polishing, and bright work finishing. Recent state and local solicitations under this code reflect narrow, specialized demand: Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Aviation Division issued RFP 601440000051699 for strip and paint services on a Cessna Citation Latitude with custom exterior livery, deicer boot polishing, fuselage seam sealing, and FAA-required exterior placards, with work performed at the vendor's facility on a firm fixed-price basis. This is capital-intensive, infrequently procured work requiring FAA-compliant execution and comprehensive aircraft liability insurance ($10,000,000 hangar keepers coverage). State and local demand for aircraft coating and painting is concentrated in state aviation divisions (TxDOT, Illinois Department of Transportation, Texas Department of Public Safety), university aviation programs (Texas A&M University System), and municipal police aviation units. The work is typically episodic and grouped with broader aircraft maintenance contracts rather than standalone RFPs.

Recent activity appears limited to individual airframe refurbishment projects in Texas. TxDOT's Cessna Citation Latitude stripping and repainting (RFP 601440000051699, posted Mar 2026, due Dec 2025—a past-due notice) represents the primary recently posted opportunity explicitly matching the code's scope. Broader aircraft maintenance and repair solicitations from TxDOT, IDOT, Texas A&M, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the City of Tampa Police Department include maintenance, avionics repair, and engine support services but do not isolate coating and painting as distinct line items. The geographic footprint spans Texas and Illinois, with episodic activity in university and municipal aviation divisions. Vendors pursuing this code should expect sporadic solicitations tied to scheduled aircraft refurbishment cycles, firm fixed pricing structures, FAA compliance rigor, and mandatory insurance floors in the $5 million to $10 million range for liability and hangar keepers coverage.