Page 34 - AAA JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2015 Online Magazine

NEWS

INduSTRy NEWS ANd uPdATES

AFI KLM E&M Voted MRO of the
Year
As in 2014, AFI KLM E&M was presented
with the “MRO of the Year” award at the
Airline Economics Aviation 100 Awards,
Aeroflot Signs Deal with Sukhoi for 20 SuperJets held in Dublin on Jan.19.
Russia’s flagship carrier Aeroflot has “The agreement marks the start For the second consecutive year,
signed a letter of intent for delivery of of a totally new phase of cooperation the award, which is the outcome of
20 additional Sukhoi Superjet 100s with between Aeroflot and united Aircraft voting by airline industry professionals,
the manufacturer, Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Corporation (uAC), of which SCAC is a underscores AFI KLM E&M’s dedication
Company by 2017. part,” a company official says. to sustaining optimum performance
The new agreement is in addition Aeroflot uses its current fleet of 16 and quality levels over the long term,
to an existing contract for 30 Sukhoi SSJ-100s on flights throughout Russia and also to continually improving them.
Superjet (SSJ)-100s, and will bring as well as to the former CIS, Scandinavia, Through this award, the industry
Aeroflot Group’s fleet of SSJ-100s to and Eastern Europe. professionals on the MRO market have
a total of 50 aircraft by 2017. Aeroflot The SSJ100, a regional jet developed recognized the high value of the aircraft
currently operates 16 SSJ100 aircraft. and built by SCAC, in cooperation with overhaul and maintenance services
The majority of the SSJ-100s will the Italian Alenia Aermacchi, flies at a delivered by AFI KLM E&M, as well
be delivered in full specification and maximum speed of Mach 0.81 and 40,000 as the quality of its customer service.
able to accommodate 87 passengers in feet. The operating range for the basic The group is massively and continually
a spacious dual-class configuration (12 version is 3,048 km (1894 mi.) and 4,578 investing in improving its infrastructure
seats in business and 75 in economy). km (2845 mi.) for the long range version. and extending its network to provide
the kind of responsive support for its
clients all over the world that matches
In-Flight Connectivity up to their expectations.
Qatar Airways is also fitting its new A350 Franck Terner, Executive
with mobile phone connectivity and WiFi. Vice President AIR FRANCE KLM
The service, provided by OnAir, features Engineering & Maintenance, said:
a full inflight connectivity suite – Mobile “Being singled out for this Award for
OnAir and Internet OnAir. The products the second year in a row is a genuine
will enable passengers to use their mobile honour and a true source of pride for
phones, tablets and laptops in exactly the us. It highlights our determination to
same way they do on the ground. carry on developing and improving our
OnAir is working on developing the products and services over the long
next generation in-flight connectivity haul for the enhanced benefit of our
services, which it plans to launch clients. It encourages us to sustain
on the A350 in 2016. OnAir’s Chief this high quality level and to keep
Executive Officer Ian Dawkins says the on transforming and optimizing our
company’s “innovation has ensured that operations across the board, with a
the internal technology matches the view to providing a level of all-round
ground-breaking work that has gone service to all our clients that keeps on
into the construction of the A350.” getting better and better!”

34 ASIAN AIRLINES & AIRPORTS JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015 WWW.ASIANAIRLINES-AIRPORTS.COM