Following the addition of Boeing 737 Max base maintenance services earlier this year, Czech Airlines Technics (CSAT) has followed up by adding similar services for the Airbus A320neo in Prague.

The MRO says it completed the first two A320neo family overhauls at Vaclav Havel Airport last week with Swedish carrier Novair as its first customer. Both aircraft were A321neo variants operated by Novair's Apollo subsidiary brand. The service for the narrowbody aircraft will be available to both airlines and lessors, CSAT says.

Maintenance services for the A320neo follow the introduction of 737 Max approvals by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Czech Republic. In April, CSAT carried out its first 737 Max base maintenance work for LOT Polish Airlines.

“We have gained another competitive advantage on the market thanks to the fact that we can now service these modern aircraft in our hangar at Prague Airport,” says Pavel Hales, chairman of the Czech Airlines Technics board of directors. “In relation to the required operating limitations within which aircraft must undergo regular overhauls, the certification process was conveniently timed.”

Hales adds that the Czech MRO can combine regular checks with aircraft currently in storage in Prague, where in 2020, it completed around 70 base maintenance overhauls.

Aviation Week forecasts a growing demand for A320neo maintenance. This year, it estimates a $1.8 billion MRO spend for the aircraft which is expected to rise to $2.5 billion by 2022.