Page 27 - AAA SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 Online Magazine

MRO NEWS

has proven time and again its leading
AI’S A330-300 P2F CARGO position as the powerhouse of cargo
CONVERSION GAINS AVOLON conversions, globally. I am grateful to
our partners at Avolon for their faith
AS LAUNCH CUSTOMER in our abilities.”
Avolon, the third-largest aircraft
leasing company in the world, has a
fleet of 837 aircraft, as of June 2021.
In additional to being the first cus-
tomer for cargo conversions for this
aircraft, Avolon will fully take part in
the aircraft conversion and licensing
process. “We have identified IAI as a
long-time global leader in the aircraft
conversion business and the right
partner for Avolon to capitalise on the
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will due to increased e-commerce. unparalleled growth in e-commerce,”
convert 30 Airbus A330-300 jets “For the second time in recent years, said Avolon CEO, Dómhnal Slattery.
from passenger to cargo configu- IAI’s Aviation Group is making history,” “The global air freight market is worth
ration between 2025 and 2028, for said IAI President & CEO, Boaz Levy. over US$150 billion annually today
aircraft leasing company Avolon. The “Just two years ago we announced and the sector is transforming, with
signing of the agreement with Avolon, that we will be the first in the world the air cargo traffic expected to
the first customer for cargo conver- to perform a passenger-to-freighter double over the next 20 years. This
sions of this aircraft model, follows conversion on the B777-300ER, and partnership with IAI signals Avolon’s
the backdrop of high profits in 2021 today we are announcing that we will intention to be a leading player in
and the projected doubling of cargo perform the first cargo conversion the expansion of the cargo aircraft
aircraft traffic in the next 20 years for the Airbus A330-300 aircraft. IAI industry.”
CFM AND AIR CHINA TO AND BECOME A GLOBALLY

STRENGTHEN SSAMC’S LEAP COMPETITIVE AERO-ENGINE
MAINTENANCE BASE.”
ENGINE MRO CAPABILITY SSAMC, formally established in 2010,

Air China and CFM International ity and utilization rate of engines is is a joint venture between Air China
have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) key to the recovery of airlines in the and CFM, with 60% and 40% invest-
to strengthen the LEAP engine post-epidemic era,” said Ni Jiliang, ment respectively. It is also the first
MRO capability of Sichuan Services chief engineer of Air China. Sino-foreign joint venture dedicated
Aero-engine Maintenance Co., Ltd. to the MRO of CFM56 and LEAP
(SSAMC), a joint venture between “THE LOI TO BUILD LEAP series engines in China. “Air China is
the two parties. The companies also ENGINE MRO CAPACITY WILL both a strategically important cus-
celebrated the introduction, from ear- ENABLE SSAMC TO PROVIDE tomer and partner. We are deeply
lier this year, of the LEAP-1A engine BETTER SERVICE FOR DOMESTIC honored to be continuously recog-
into the airline’s fleet. “High reliabil- AND FOREIGN CUSTOMERS nized by Air China.”

Weiming Xiang, president of CFM
International Greater China, said,
“China is important to the recovery of
the global narrow-body market during
the pandemic. Promoting SSAMC’s
LEAP engine MRO capacity is of
great significance for ensuring the
stable growing of LEAP engine fleet.”
The first LEAP-1A engines were deliv-
ered to Chinese customers in June
2018. At present, there are 10 airlines
in Greater China operating A320neo
aircraft powered by LEAP-1A engines.

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