Highlights 

Spirit AeroSystems Selects Indian MRO Provider

Spirit AeroSystems has extended its footprint in India by signing maintenance specialist GMR Aero Technic as its MRO provider.

Through the agreement, announced Feb. 20, Hyderabad-based GMR Aero Technic will become a Spirit-authorized repair center. The move could lead to the MRO expanding its offerings by leveraging Spirit’s structural component repair expertise for Boeing and other aircraft.

Initially, GMR Aero Technic plans to provide repair services of nacelles, radomes and flight control surfaces for all narrowbodies, including Boeing’s 737NG and 737 MAX aircraft.

Lufthansa Technik Opens Engine Training Center

Lufthansa Technik (LHT) has opened a new training center for engine mechanics in Germany that aims to train 1,000 new employees by 2027.

The center was opened Feb. 20 in the Rahlstedt district of Hamburg, which is home to LHT’s headquarters.

LHT confirmed an investment of €7.5 million ($8 million) in the center, which is set to train approximately 376 people this year, many of whom should be able to take on independent tasks in the workshops after just 4-6 months.

The center plans to train people from any technical or craft apprenticeship backgrounds, with LHT citing examples of people who were originally trained as carpenters, automotive mechanics or dental technicians eventually being qualified to repair commercial aircraft engines.

New Chinese Freighter MRO Venture Launches

ST Engineering and China’s SF Airlines have entered an agreement to set up an airframe MRO joint venture in Ezhou, China.

The currently unnamed venture has an equity split of 60-40 in favor of ST Engineering and is set to begin operations in 2025.

The facility is planned to be built at the greenfield airframe MRO facility at the Ezhou Huahu Airport, designated as Hubei province’s international logistics hub airport. The airport began commercial operation in July and cargo operations in November.

“The joint venture will not only support the freighter MRO demands of SF Airlines, which is China’s largest freighter airline in fleet size, but also serve the increasing needs of other cargo and passenger airlines operating in the region,” ST Engineering says in a statement. 

Contracts

AeroCheck MRO was selected by Allegiant Air to provide Airbus A320 line maintenance and aircraft-on-ground (AOG) services at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Aeronautical Engineers has a contract from Alaska’s Everts Air Cargo to convert an ex-Delta Air Lines MD-88 to cargo service. Commercial Jet will perform the modification in Dothan, Alabama.

AFI KLM E&M has two Aerolineas Argentinas contracts to maintain and support 74 CFM56-7B and 16 CF6-80E1 engines.

Boeing Global Services was selected by Air India for life-cycle support services, including digital solutions, spare parts and landing gear exchange, training, aircraft modifications and other services, for 290 Boeing 737s/787s/777s on order/option.

Embraer was selected by Binter Canarias to provide its Beacon digital platform for E195-E2 fleet maintenance after a successful trial in 2022.

Lufthansa Technik has a five-year Azerbaijan Airlines contract to provide its Total Component Support program for the airline’s 787s.

Safran Nacelles licensed both AFI KLM E&M and ST Engineering to perform A320neo/Leap 1A nacelle repairs.

Satair has an SR Technics Malta contract to provide its Integrated Material Services to support base maintenance activities on A320s. The service covers an initial expendable parts scope of thousands of part numbers.

Sichuan Haite Hi-Tech was selected by EFW to perform A321 P2F conversions in Tianjin, China, starting in the second half.

TAT Technologies has won a five-year, $50 million contract extension with an unidentified airline for GTCP331 APU maintenance.

Turkish Technic was selected by Air Serbia to perform heavy checks on four A320-family aircraft and one A330.

Contracts source: SpeedNews