GAMECO is preparing to maintain China Southern’s Airbus A380s. That work comes to it almost by right, since the airline is a major shareholder, but it may be hard for the company to attract more A380 business given the small numbers of the type in service and on order. Singapore Airlines, another A380 operator, is a competitor. GAMECO has not yet begun marketing for A380 work but it will soon, says Norman. One concern must be getting adequate service from the costly A380 hangar that the company has built in anticipation of receiving China Southern’s A380s.

Singapore Technologies Aerospace (ST Aero) will maintain 143 CFM56-7B engines for India’s Jet Airways and subsidiary Jetlite under a maintenance-by-the-hour contract valued at S$1 billion (US$750 million). “Work for both airlines will involve off-wing, on-wing and on-site support, as well as fleet technical and asset management support,” ST Aero and Jet Airways say in a joint statement. The engines power 67 Boeing 737s operated by Jet Airways and its subsidiary.

Japan Airlines will contract more than originally planned, with further routes to be canned, Boeing 747s to be retired earlier and job losses to increase by about 20%. Under pressure from the government and creditors to restructure itself more thoroughly, the ailing carrier will make a second attempt at designing the reduced network it will keep after emerging from its court-supervised bankruptcy.