Gallery: MRO Growth Eyed At Twente Airport

Located in the east of the Netherlands on a former Dutch Air Force base, Twente Airport's existing activities include aircraft parking, modifications, end-of-life and MRO services. Now, it is looking at growing these offerings by attracting more aftermarket providers to the site, which it hopes to turn into an MRO cluster.

The existing Aircraft Maintenance Cluster Twente brings together several MRO entities to operate at the airport. It envisages offering all elements of a circular aviation operation, combining parking and storage, aircraft and component maintenance and disassembly and recycling in one location.

Twente Airport is currently investing in step two of a three-step MRO cluster plan to allow for a wider range of services at the site. This includes adding a component shop and storage unit, aircraft modifications and upgrades services and lease returns.

In targeting this, Twente Airport says it plans to use an 'open-source' approach at the site, meaning aircraft operators can bring technicians from any EASA Part-145 certified MRO to the site. It hopes to have this concept established by the fourth quarter of 2021.

Existing partners that have undertaken work at the airport include Lufthansa Technik and Samco Aircraft Maintenance.

At the site, AELS carries out both short-term and long-term parking services, along with the disassembly and dismantling of aircraft of Boeing and Airbus aircraft.

Timing for this new venture should coincide with the start of reshoring some maintenance activities to Western Europe due to equalizing labor costs, environmental concerns and the expense of ferrying, and full slots in Eastern Europe and Asia-Pacific. In addition, some movement of MRO activities away from large airports with costly facilities and often legacy man-hour rates is also anticipated.

Capacity increases are also anticipated in the near future. Twente Airport is investing in additional parking positions and a narrowbody hangar across three locations to be completed by the second quarter of 2021.

Cooperation with local education institutions is also in the works. The partners plan to work with nearby University Twente, Deltion College and other organizations in the areas of maintenance and recycling.