SME

By FedEx | First published: May 17, 2022    Updated: August 16, 2024

Championing local craftsmen and materials, Philippines-based model maker Aircraft City is taking flight, winning new fans of their model airplanes across the world.
 

• The market for model airplanes around the world is a lucrative one. Passionate collectors are always on the hunt for new models for their collections.
• Filipino craftsman Lydon Uson’s love of miniature aircraft led him to start his own business, making models by hand using local wood and specially-trained craftsmen.
• Thanks to the opportunities made available through e-commerce, Aircraft City sells to customers all over the world with the support of a reliable logistics network.

In the Philippines, the aircraft model industry is small, with no more than 10 local companies making these products. One company, Aircraft City, stands out. With a passionate founder sharing an enthusiasm for model-making with global fans around the world, Aircraft City have built a reputation for quality and style.

Founder Lyndon Uson is a Filipino craftsman and entrepreneur whose lifelong love of airplanes led him to start reproducing high-quality military and civilian aircraft models. With support from his family and peers, he launched his own company, Aircraft City, which has grown and expanded operations to attract customers worldwide.

Attention-to-detail results in highly-sought-after collectibles

Aircraft City’s models undergo a meticulous manufacturing process with painstaking level of workmanship. Each handicraft is designed from scratch and hand-carved in solid kiln-dried Philippine mahogany wood.

Parts are then assembled and hand-painted by talented craftsmen. With Lyndon’s hands-on production methods and tight quality control procedures, the accuracy of each model is guaranteed from start to finish, increasing its quality.

"We are very particular about details. Since our models are handmade, characteristics such as the size of the propeller and the internal cockpit are taken into design consideration. My forte is developing models that my competitors aren’t making or aren’t able to develop,” shared Lyndon.

Partnership and investment in e-commerce to reach more markets

As his work became internationally recognized, Lyndon formed a partnership with Aviator Gear, a US-based e-commerce platform for custom military aviation gear. The partnership brought in resources that enabled Aircraft City to export their creations and connect with global customers. With a wider customer base and more revenue, Lyndon could focus on design, production, and shipment of orders to customers in the US, Europe and other parts of the world.

Lyndon connects this continued growth with a strong e-commerce presence. He now plans to build another factory to further scale his operations. “Our American partner is always pushing us to expand, as they foresee that the production and orders of scaled aircrafts models will continue to grow.”

For Lyndon, small and medium enterprises like Aircraft City can leverage opportunities in the global e-commerce boom. When it comes to cross-border trade, safe and timely delivery is as important as product quality.

“It’s crucial to us that our logistics provider understands that our products are delicate. Our partner FedEx offers different shipping tools and solutions that enable us to optimize costs and delivery efficiency. That’s why we’ve shipped with them since 2013,” Lyndon says.

Trustworthy, innovative and cost-effective logistics services are critical for small and medium enterprises like Aircraft City. As Lyndon looks to expand production and further scale operations, he intends to continue using FedEx, connecting his business to every US address and more than 220 countries and territories worldwide.

Check out the FedEx tools and services that your business can leverage for cross-border selling and business growth here.