Honeywell signed a 10-year contract with Kunpeng Airlines to provide MRO services on components, avionics and lighting equipment for ERJ-190s. Valued at $21 million, the agreement covers more than 65 Honeywell parts. "Honeywell's service program provides one manageable package that incorporates maintenance, logistics and spares access, giving Kunpeng Airlines the parts and services they need, when and where they need it," said Honeywell Airlines VP Mike Madsen.

Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services, a joint venture among Boeing, Shanghai Airport Authorities and Shanghai Airlines, won US FAA repair station certification to provide MRO to Chinese airlines as well as regional and international carriers.

TAM, which formally was invited to join Star Alliance last week, also hopes to play a major role in Latin American maintenance, repair and overhaul. The carrier's Technology Center is located in Sao Carlos, some 230 km. northwest of Sao Paulo. It has invested $185 million in the 4.6-million-sq.-m., six-hangar facility since it opened in 2001 at the site of a former truck factory.

Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority wants Qantas to implement a range of improvements to the way it manages and delivers aircraft maintenance following a special review carried out last month. CASA called on the carrier to produce a plan to address deficiencies in meeting some of its own maintenance performance targets. It also wants QF to examine whether existing lines of authority and control over maintenance are delivering the best results (ATWOnline, Aug. 19).

Malaysia Airlines and GMR Hyderabad International Airport signed an MOU this week to establish an MRO company at Rajiv Gandhi International capable of handling "all types of aircraft," including the A380. Financial details, ownership structure and timetable for launch were not disclosed.

Snecma Services is "not seeing any downturn in our [CFM56 overhaul] shops" despite the fact that some airlines are reducing flying and parking aircraft, Chairman and CEO Denis Vercherin told ATWOnline at the Farnborough Airshow last week. In fact, Snecma's MRO arm has revised its business outlook upward in terms of parts demand and shop visits. "We have more CFM56-3 business than we can handle," he said.

Lufthansa Technik won a significant contract from Qantas for technical support of GE and CFM56-7 engines powering the carrier's 737, 767, 747 and A330 aircraft.

Air India, Jupiter Aviation and Airbus signed an MOU last week to establish a three-way JV MRO facility in India to perform work on all types of Airbus aircraft operated by AI and other Indian airlines. Air India told The Economic Times that it will develop a business plan for the MRO over the next two months to be submitted to its board for approval. The deal was reached during French President Nicolas Sarkozy's visit to India last week.