Prague Airport, the owner of Czech Airlines Technics (CSAT), is reportedly seeking a strategic partner for the MRO company.
It is looking within the industry for a partner to improve CSAT’s competitiveness and offer it synergies. Prague Airport plans to finalize a deal by the first half of next year.
“The process will start with reaching out to potential partners who are also active in the field of aviation repair and maintenance,” says Jiri Pos, chairman of the Prague Airport board of directors. “Several rounds of negotiations will follow, narrowing down the number of potential partners and selecting the most suitable one.”
Speaking to Aviation Week in early June, CSAT said it was seeking to expand its consumable material sales in the U.S. and boost the presence of its landing gear exchange services after stocking up on parts during the pandemic.
“We would like to be better known as an exchange provider because we do approximately 50 exchanges monthly, mainly wheels, brakes and slides for Airbus A320 aircraft and also Boeing 737 and ATR aircraft due to our stock availability,” said Martin Mintel, head of the components and spares division at CSAT.
One of its current landing gear customers is Air France-KLM subsidiary Transavia. In 2017, CSAT won a nine-year contract to overhaul at least 96 Boeing 737 shipsets over nine years and lease spare sets to Transavia and Transavia France to minimize operational disruption during maintenance.
Mintel added that CSAT is also trying to expand its capabilities for Airbus A220 aircraft as for the A320neo family and the Boeing 737 MAX.
Czech Airlines Technics was established in 2010 as a subsidiary of Czech Airlines. In April 2012, the company’s sole shareholder became Cesky Aeroholding. Since October 2018, as a result of a national merger by acquisition, its sole shareholder has been Prague Airport, a joint stock company.
