Page 17 - AAA SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014 Online Magazine

MRO INDIA

the very least, for significant work from and Commercial Bank of China Ltd says that, its strategic partnership with
Indian airlines. (ICBC) in September, “Through this Etihad is already delivering results with
IndiGo, the country’s leading airline, MoU, ICBC will provide IndiGo financial a joint procurement strategy for its MRO
chose to go with SriLankan Airlines’ solutions for the introduction of A320 contracts with engine service providers
engineering division for its MRO and the other family of aircraft to the along with ground handling operations,
requirements. In April, this year, IndiGo’s fleet in the form of sale and lease back catering and fuel procurement. The
parent firm InterGlobe Aviation Limited, or financial lease or commercial lending. airline chose ST Aerospace in 2010 to
signed a long term MRO agreement The number of aircraft would be over 30 support CFM56-7B engines, fitted on its
with SriLankan Airlines. The ‘C’ check aircraft and the value of the deal would Boeing 737 NG fleet. The 10 year USD
on IndiGo’s entire Airbus fleet will be reach to the amount of USD 2.6 billion”, 750 million contract will run till 2020
carried out by SriLankan at the Mattala IndiGo said in a statement. It had taken and provides Maintenance-By-the-Hour
Rajapaksa International Airport (MRIA) delivery of 96 A320’s as of last month and (MBH) support.
in Hambantota and Bandaranaike currently operates 80 of the type. Turkish Technic which has been
International Airport in Colombo, Sri Jet Airways looking to make its providing MRO support to SpiceJet, will
Lanka. SriLankan also says it has return to profitability by 2017, currently now also provide landing gear repair
performed “a wide range of additional operates a fleet of 113 aircraft. Its and overhaul services including spare
work to refurbish the cabin (painting, fleet consists of 73 NG Boeing 737- support for the airline’s full Boeing
re-trimming and cleaning) and enhance 700/800/900/900 ER, 10 Boeing 777-300 737-800 fleet, up t0 2018. A total of 23
the exterior paint condition (re-painting ER’s, eight Airbus A330-200 and four sets of landing gear services have been
faded or damaged areas, chemical Airbus A330-300 along with 15 ATR 72- contracted for. As part of an earlier
cleaning and polishing)”, in addition 500 and three ATR72-600’s. The airline 2013 contract, the MRO provider will
to completing the ‘C’ check on Indigo’s is targeting a fleet utilisation of 12 hours also handle comprehensive component
aircraft. across its fleet, from next year. The support for SpiceJet’s Boeing 737 NG
The low cost carrier (LCC) has majority of these aircraft are held on fleet for a term of five years (extendable
placed orders for 260 Airbus A320’s (100 lease by Jet Airways (77) and JetLite (11) to ten years). All work will be carried out
classic and 160 neo) and 20 A321 neo’s with 24 owned by Jet Airways. JetLite at Turkish Technic’s facilities in Istanbul,
till date. It signed a Memorandum of currently operates a fleet of 11 aircraft Turkey. SpiceJet operates 32 Boeing 737-
Understanding (MoU) with the Industrial under the JetKonnect brand. Jet Airways 800 NG, six Boeing 737-900ER and 15
Bombardier Q-400 regional transports.
Earlier this year, it confirmed orders for
LEAP TEST being conducted by Snecma and GE: 42 Boeing 737 MAX 8s with deliveries
Snecma (Safran), which is developing a total of 20 engines to be tested by due from 2018. The remaining from 18
the LEAP engine with GE through year-end and 60 engines will be built 737 NG’s from an earlier order are to be
their joint venture company CFM over the next three years and will delivered by 2017.
International, has signed an accumulate approximately 40,000 GoAir and Lufthansa Technik have
agreement with AFI KLM E&M to cycles before entry into service. an extensive component support
carry out engine development tests. The latest contract positions AFI KLM contract that extends till 2022, across
The LEAP is the successor to the E&M as a partner for the aircraft
best-selling CFM56 and has already manufacturing industry. The five- the airline’s current and future fleet of
been chosen for the Airbus A320neo, year contract covers engine tests as A320 classic and A320 neo’s. The airline
Boeing 737 MAX and Comac C919 part of the LEAP development and which has adopted a cautious approach
single-aisle jets. certification program. to growth is expected to take delivery
The LEAP engine will see the The tests will be carried out on of its 20th A320, later this year and has
highest ramp-up in commercial AFI KLM E&M’s Phenix test cell plans to increase aircraft utilisation to
aviation - reaching a production at Roissy-CDG, by engineers and 13 hours a day. It has taken delivery of 15
rate of more than 1 700 engines technicians from the MRO in brand new A320’s from Airbus till date
per year by 2019. To meet this coordination with Snecma. This and will have five on lease by the end of
challenge and to conduct all tests particular test cell became available
required for the LEAP’s development after AFI KLM E&M inaugurated its the year. The airline expects to induct
and certification, Snecma needed brand-new Zephyr jet engine test the first of its brand new A320 neo’s,
a trustworthy partner with solid cell in 2012. Prior to the start of of which it has 72 on order, from 2016.
experience. testing, the test cell will be upgraded Current plans have it taking deliveries of
AFI KLM E&M will conduct and adapted to ensure compliance seven and ten aircraft across 2016 and
development tests concurrently with with the special requirements of 2017 respectively, which will be acquired
the ambitious test program already development testing procedures. through the sale and leaseback model.

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