Category: PRs

Philippines’ airline Cebu Pacific has signed an agreement with ITP for the full support of the PW127M engines which power the airline’s ATR72-500 and 72-600 fleets. In total, this agreement will cover 24 aircraft with an estimated duration of 12 years.

ITP has been providing maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services to Cebu Pacific throughout the last seven years and this agreement signals the renewal of the partnership between both companies. ITP will be providing customer support from its representative office in Singapore, while the PW100 engines will be repaired at the company’s facilities in Ajalvir, Spain.

“CEB has worked with ITP over the last few years and this renewed agreement further strengthens our relationship,” said Lance Gokongwei, president and CEO of Cebu Pacific.

Ignacio Mataix, ITP CEO said: “This agreement shows the commitment of both companies to continue with the excellent working relationship developed over the last years supporting one of the largest and most demanding fleets in Asia Pacific.”  

Asia Pacific is known to have the largest number of Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PW100 engine operators, for which ITP is a Designated Overhaul Facility (DOF), covering all the large family models. 

Wizz Air has given FLYdocs a long term contract for its advanced aviation data and records management platform. Wizz Air already uses the planning and maintenance software AMOS and, in entering into this long term arrangement with FLYdocs, will become the first airline to benefit from the advanced interfaces between the two systems.

Earlier this year FLYdocs and AMOS started work to deliver digital aircraft compliance on-demand. The interfaces between FLYdocs and AMOS will offer many features that enable customers to substantially cut the time to manage aircraft compliance.

AMOS will feed all relevant maintenance data into FLYdocs which will automatically build compliance documentation in near real-time providing Wizz Air with digitalised end-to-end aircraft compliance management. Through selecting FLYdocs, Wizz Air will be well placed to proactively manage its forthcoming aircraft transition programme.

Heiko Holm, technical director at Wizz Air, commented: “FLYdocs has successfully completed lease return projects for Wizz Air in the past, which gave us great insight into the power of their system. Now with full access to FLYdocs, we have the right platform to manage all of our records across the entire portfolio. The wide business and technical support services FLYdocs provides is also expected to add significant value to our operations as we continue to expand and transition aircraft.”

Adrian Ryan, CEO of FLYdocs commented “I am delighted that Wizz Air has become the first FLYdocs customer to benefit from full digital aircraft compliance-on-demand, enabled by our seamless interface with AMOS.”

Work is scheduled to start with the scanning of the back-to-birth records for Wizz Air’s entire fleet in Budapest before the end of 2016.

The BM&FBOVESPA (São Paulo Stock Exchange) is including Embraer in its 12th portfolio of the Corporate Sustainability Index (Índice de Sustentabilidade Empresarial – ISE) alongside 33 other companies. This new portfolio will run from January 2, 2017 to January 5, 2018.
According to the BM&FBovespa, the companies listed represent 15 sectors and a total R$ 1.31 trillion in market value, or the equivalent of 52.14% of the total value of companies that trade on the Exchange, based on the close of November 22 2016. The BM&FBOVESPA also informed that 179 companies out of the 200 most liquid stocks in January 2016 were invited to take part in the new portfolio.
The ISE was created in 2005 by the BM&FBOVESPA in conjunction with other institutions, for the purpose of providing comparative analysis of the performance of companies in terms of corporate sustainability, based on economic efficiency, environmental balance, social justice, and corporate governance.

Aegean Airlines has added Rockwell Collins’ ARINC GLOBALink air-to-ground data link communications to provide fleet connectivity.

GLOBALink is enabling the airline to improve departure control and turnaround, send and receive real-time aircraft and engine data to improve maintenance operations and upload gate connection information to aircraft inflight entertainment displays to enhance the passenger experience.

“Adding data link capability to our fleet will further enhance the effectiveness of our operation and help to improve service to our customers,” said Nikos Panagiotopoulos, operations manager, at Aegean.

“Aegean Airlines has been highly successful even in the face of very challenging global economic conditions,” said Alexis Hickox, head of global sales, Commercial Aviation for Rockwell Collins.

Dubai based Aerostructures Middle East Services (AMES), a joint-venture between Safran Nacelles and Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) has introduced further services and capabilities for jet engine nacelles in the region.

Building on a new FAA certificate, along with a new autoclave for composites, AMES can accommodate a growing volume of nacelle maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) work in addition to composite repairs on aerostructure parts such as radomes, winglets and flight control surfaces.

The AMES core business portfolio includes services for Safran produced nacelles and thrust reversers on Rolls-Royce Trent 700 and Trent 500 engines that equip Airbus A330s and A340s, as well as the A320 family’s CFM International CFM56 powerplant. The capabilities also apply to Safran Nacelles’ latest products, such as the nacelle system for Airbus’ A320neo (New Engine Option) version that has now entered service, and the future introduction of the company’s nacelle system on the A330neo.

AMES can also accommodate the very large nacelles and thrust reversers for General Electric’s GE90 engines on Boeing 777s, along with the Engine Alliance GP7200s and Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines that power Airbus A380s.

AFI KLM E&M and Ethiopian Airlines have signed a long-term component services contract within the Component Services Program (CSP) covering the airline’s fleet of 28 Boeing Next-Generation 737 aircraft. Ethiopian Airlines will receive full support, including part repairs and fast-track access to the 737 spares pool.

Mesfin Tasew, Ethiopian’s COO, said: “We have forged a strong relationship with AFI KLM E&M, which is already handling engine and APU support for us. We are convinced that we have made the best choice and are delighted to be extending our partnership.”

This is a new ‘flag carrier’ customer for AFI KLM E&M.

 

Among several announcements from ALOFT AeroArchitects during this year’s NBAA in Orlando, Florida, was the signing of a contract to complete a scheduled 12-month inspection along with the installation of its new ALOFT STC for ADS-B Out on a Next-Generation 737 Boeing Business Jet (BBJ).

 

ALOFT’s senior vice president – sales and marketing, John Eichten, stated: “While the aircraft is in our facility, we will also install and complete the supplemental type certification (STC) process for our own ADS-B Out compliance solution.”

 

“The recent expansion of our FAA Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) capabilities increases our control of the STC process timeline to enable the complete and complex design, installation and STC certification process for ADS-B compliance to occur within the very tight schedule of a routine 12-month scheduled maintenance inspection,” he said.

 

Along with the STC for the ADS-B Out installation on the BBJ, Eichten also said that additional STCs are in the process of being developed through ALOFT AeroArchitects’ ODA and will be offered in the industry as they become available.

Estonia based Magnetic MRO has signed a long term agreement with Kazakhstan’s Air Astana to support its aircraft escape slide repair and overhaul requirements.

 

Since adding escape slide workshop to its service offering two years ago, Magnetic MRO has developed its capabilities to cover both Goodrich and Air Cruisers escape slides for Boeing B767, B757, B737 CL, B717-200, Airbus A320 Family, accompanied by raft capability.

 

“We are proud of the fast growing demand for our escape slide facility” said Risto Mäeots, COO of Magnetic MRO. “We are actively investing in our in-house capabilities in order to serve our customers proactively and effectively.”

By Mark Bollman, president and co-owner, Creative Colors International

 

Travel via business or private jet comes with certain expectations. Passengers expect to travel in comfort, surrounded by clean and tidy interiors.  Tears in leather seats or scuffs on side panels can undermine the experience and give the wrong impression.  And while quick-fix repair kits can help to patch up some leather and vinyl damage, the ideal long-term solution is conducting preventative maintenance on interior surfaces.  When it comes to larger, more complicated, or repeated tears and damage, repair and restoration experts can help repair, re-dye or restore seats and other interior surfaces to look like new.

 

Maintain Your Leather

 

Regular Upkeep Is Vital

Taking the time to maintain leather will save money in the long run. Replacement parts for aviation interiors are very expensive. Simple cleaning, restoration or repairs can literally save thousands of dollars. Regular upkeep results in fewer rips and tears in the leather. It is recommended to conduct light cleaning, including wet dusting and vacuuming in crevices, after every flight. Wet dusting is simple – take a white cloth towel, immerse it in warm, clean water, wring it out completely and then gently wipe down the leather surface. In addition to regular cleanings, it’s recommended to do a deeper cleaning every 90 days and call in cleaning professionals at least once a year. It’s particularly important to pay special attention to surfaces that are more susceptible to every day wear and tear, such as leather or vinyl armrests and seat cushions.

 

Stay on Top of Minor Rips

It’s also very important to stay on top of minor tears in the leather. Repairing a small imperfection immediately will keep that rip from spreading. Unattended holes or tears in leather are likely to spread and worsen over time, which could lead to a necessary interior refurbishment and/or costly replacement.

 

Additional Tips

It seems fairly obvious, but it’s best to avoid sharp objects coming in contact with leather upholstery. Leather is susceptible to cuts, burns and even surface scratches. Even common objects such as pens, computers, tablets, purses, and children’s toys can have adverse effects on a plane’s interior.

Another potential danger to a plane’s interiors are newspapers. Newspapers may seem innocuous, but if left in contact with leather surfaces for too long, the newspaper ink is likely to transfer onto the leather. Worse yet, the ink is notoriously difficult to remove.

Newspaper ink is not the only dye airplane owner should beware of; it is advisable to never cover your leather surfaces with colored (especially red) sheets or blankets as the dye may rub onto the leather, even when both surfaces are dry.

Finally, when maintaining the interior it is advisable to know your cleaning chemicals. Some chemicals may alter the color or feel of the leather. It is highly advisable to ONLY use cleaning products specifically designed for leather or vinyl that are water-based.

 

DIY Maintenance

As for cleaning, a leather cleaner can be created easily and cost effectively. Simply mix one ounce of Ivory dish soap to 11 ounces of water then combine these ingredients in a clean spray bottle. After applying the solution, the surfaces should be rubbed dry with a soft, clean cloth.

 

What to Look for BEFORE Buying a Plane

When purchasing a plane, there are a multitude of factors to take into consideration. In terms of aviation interior, potential owners should research and review the maintenance log and survey the interiors carefully, looking for any small tears or signs of poor repairs.

 

Owning and maintaining a private plane is often quite expensive, so it’s important to be budget conscious with regard to maintaining the plane’s interior.   Therefore, before choosing to replace any interior seats or surfaces, be sure to contact a local expert to see if it’s possible to repair and restore instead of replace.

SR Technics has opened a new training center in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi offering flexible, comprehensive training solutions to supplement the company’s existing training facilities in Zurich, Switzerland. The new training center is designed to serve regional and international clients.

 

Stephan Wiegelmann, head of training services at SR Technics, said: “We were looking for a state-of-the-art facility, which we found in Masdar City. We chose this location because it is a progressive hub for educational, technical and scientific institutions, providing a modern environment for learning. Masdar City is also close to the Abu Dhabi Airport, so we are able to perform practical training on aircraft.”

 

“Masdar City is the region’s first clean-tech cluster anchored by a world-class graduate university, hosting a range of corporate training, research and knowledge-sharing opportunities,” said Yousef Baselaib, executive director of Sustainable Real Estate at Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company. “The expansion of SR Technics’ presence at Masdar City will provide important services to Abu Dhabi’s growing aviation sector, and enhance the City’s standing as a hub connecting education with R&D and business with investment.”

 

Ralph Kaeding, who was recently appointed head of the Abu Dhabi Training Center, welcomes clients to the new facilities: “Our courses are short and efficient to minimize the off-duty time, optimizing the learning experience.”

 

The new Abu Dhabi training center offers vocational training, basic maintenance training, aircraft type training, specialized training and training consultancy services. All training courses are based on Part-147, Part-66 and Part-145 related maintenance training that are approved by the relevant authorities, such as EASA, GCAA and CASA.