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[ INTERVIEW - AXIS CADES ]                                              [ MAINTENANCE REPAIR OVERHAUL ]


                                                  Overhaul








                                                  Underway































         ISRAEL AEROSPACE
         INDUSTRIES IS FOCUSING ON
         AIRCRAFT CONVERSIONS IN
         THE CIVIL ARENA

          Arie Egozi

        The Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Aviation
        group, the newest unit of the company, began
        operations in January this year. The forming of
        this group is aimed to better utilize the com-
        pany’s capabilities related to civil aviation. The
        new group is intended among other things, to
        accelerate the company’s effort to become a
        partner on the design and production of a new
        business jet.
                                                     tions were performed by a number of groups within the company.
                                                     The new group is focusing mainly on four business lines: aircraft
        Negotiations are in different stages with some   development and manufacturing; development and production of
        potential customers, but the final selection of   aviation assemblies; aircraft conversion and enhancement; and
        the partner has been delayed until the new   aircraft maintenance.
        group will be officially launched. IAI wants to
        decide soon whether to continue the manufac-
        ture of business jets. This as part of the new   A Case for Business Jets
        strategy prepared for the new aviation group of   IAI is currently manufacturing the G-280 for Gulfstream but the
        the company. IAI’s board of directors decided   downturn in the executive jets market, leaves its design and manu-
        to implement a structural transformation which   facturing capabilities in low usage. The agreement with Gulfstream
        has resulted in the formation of a single aviation   is about mid-size executive jets and efforts are now underway to
        group. Until January 2019 the different opera-  find a manufacturer that will use IAI’s design and testing capabili-
                                                     ties of aircraft sections. Sources said that another programme in

         ASIAN AIRLINES & AEROSPACE                                                               May/June 2019 | 29
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