Aerostar Civil Aircraft MRO Expansion Plans On Track
Aerostar S.A. – the leading Romanian aerospace company – is exhibiting at the Airline Purchasing & Maintenance Exhibition in London (May 29-31) to showcase its growing civil aircraft MRO activities.
A contract has now been signed for the design, construction and fitting out of Aerostar's new MRO facility at Iasi International Airport in northeast Romania. This followed the signing of a 49-year lease with the local authorities in the late summer of 2017.
The new 4-bay MRO hangar which is planned to be open for business in the summer of 2019 will increase Aerostar's throughput of Airbus A320ceo and neo families and Boeing 737 Classic and New Generation overhauls by up to 40 percent.
The new facility lies 130km north of Aerostar's existing business operations at Bacau where two dedicated hangars provide six/seven aircraft bays which are invariably full during the peak maintenance periods
During 2017 a total of 87 aircraft completed 'C' and 'D' checks at Bacau and so far in 2018 52 aircraft have been maintained. Since the company moved into commercial aviation MRO activities 14 years ago close to 600 aircraft from some 47 airlines have been overhauled at Bacau.
The latest milestone to be achieved by Aerostar was to carry out Europe's first 'C' Check on an Airbus A320neo (CFM LEAP 1A). Operated by leading Turkish carrier Pegasus Airlines, the aircraft registered TC-NBA (MSN 7140) was serviced during April and immediately followed by two further A320neo from Pegasus – TC-NBB and TC-NBD, also in April.
Dan Velescu, Director Civil Aviation MRO Division for Aerostar stated:
"We are proud that our long-standing customer Pegasus Airlines has shown its confidence in our capabilities by selecting us for Europe's first A320neo 'C' Check."
Since entering the commercial aviation MRO market in 2004, Aerostar has become one of the most successful independent MROs in Europe with a strong customer portfolio drawn from both Western and Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
The company, an EASA Part 145 AMO, gained its FAA approval last year allowing it to bid for overhaul work from customers whose aircraft are leased from US-based lessors and under FAA jurisdiction.
The scope of Aerostar's approvals covers base maintenance for the Boeing 737 Classic & New Generation, Airbus A320ceo & neo family aircraft and a wide range of in-shop component maintenance capabilities.
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