CSA Czech Airlines board postponed indefinitely construction of its CZK1.35 billion ($61.9 million) Hangar G MRO center. The airline said the financial burden imposed by the project, which was to include CZK400 million of CSA's own resources, was too great. "The parameters of this investment project have not changed, and they are still very interesting," President Radomir Lasak said. "The conditions in CSA have changed, and that is decisive for us today.

TAP Maintenance & Engineering is working to become a significant third-party player in South America following its acquisition of VEM-Varig Engineering and Maintenance earlier this year (ATWOnline, Oct. 4). TAP, which led the consortium that purchased the Brazilian company, invested €20 million in the recently renamed VEM Maintenance & Engineering, in which it holds a 51.1% stake.

Air France Industries and KLM Engineering & Maintenance are looking into uniting under one brand, KLM E&M VP-Marketing, Sales & Customer Services Rob Pruim told ATWOnline at MRO Europe in Amsterdam. "We haven't taken any decision," he stressed, "but we have appointed consultants to see what the possibilities are.

Turkish Technic, a wholly owned subsidiary of Turkish Airlines founded last May as a profit center, is moving ahead with a new heavy maintenance facility, dubbed HABOM, at Sabiha Gokcen International Airport in Istanbul.

A YEAR THAT BEGAN WITH PRATT & Whitney's stunning announcement that it would develop replacement parts for CFM56-3 engines contained several more surprises as the months rolled by. By itself, Pratt's decision to break ranks with other engine OEMs and make PMA parts for the world's most popular engine family-- with United Airlines as launch customer--would have been enough for those engaged in the maintenance, repair and overhaul of commercial transports to mark 2006 as a year to remember. More was to follow, however. In the spring, EADS put its unprofitable

Spairliners is among the companies facing a more difficult road as a result of the delays in the A380 program. "We feel confident to continue on the A380, but we have to figure out on how to keep control on our costs while we won't generate revenues for an additional 12 months," CEO Jean-Luc Fattelay told ATWOnline at MRO Europe in Amsterdam. "We were on the verge of signing up some other carriers [in addition to Air France and Lufthansa] when EADS confirmed the new delays.

Lufthansa Technik yesterday announced a Total Component Support Agreement with Air Deccan covering the Indian LCC's newly arriving fleet of up to 60 A320s for a period of 10 years. Under terms of the $150 million deal, LHT and its Indian subsidiary, One Stop Airline MRO Support, "will independently serve" the Air Deccan fleet with the provision of components at the carrier's Bangalore hub.

Boeing yesterday named Nagpur in central India as the location of a new MRO facility intended to address growing demand for maintenance services in India. The manufacturer's commitment to invest up to $100 million in the facility was part of Air India's order for 68 aircraft (ATWOnline, Jan. 12), which was finalized in January.