JetBlue To Be FL Technics’ Punta Cana Launch Customer

FL Technics has secured JetBlue as the launch customer for its upcoming MRO facility in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

Its agreement with the airline will cover airframe base maintenance services for JetBlue’s Airbus A320 family aircraft. It is the first time FL Technics will be providing base maintenance for the airline.

FL Technics is not disclosing details about the time period for the contract or when it will induct the first aircraft

A spokesperson for the company says FL Technics is currently in discussions with several airlines about potential agreements in Punta Cana.

FL Technics is targeting an opening date of June for the Punta Cana facility, subject to FAA audit timelines and certification. The company first announced its plans for the facility at Punta Cana International Airport in August 2023.

Grupo Puntacana, which owns and operates Punta Cana International, constructed the hangar that FL Technics will occupy under a 20-year lease. The two partners’ total investment is $70 million.

The project is the first of its kind in Punta Cana and the Dominican Republic, FL Technics CEO Zilvinas Lapinskas tells Aviation Week.  Since it is unique for the island, it is difficult to hire local talent with MRO experience. FL Technics officials had expected major recruitment hurdles. An initial hiring campaign, however, drew more than 3,500 applications, including about 1,000 applications from certified engineers.

It has recruited experienced, certified staff from countries such as Colombia, Peru and Venezuela. Its chief production officer, for example, is a former bay manager from the FL Technics hangar in Kaunas, Lithuania.

“So now we bring experience from abroad, train locals, and in one or two years, we will train local mechanics,” Lapinskas says.

The company is also working to recruit Dominicans with experience, certificates and approvals working abroad.