MRO Management

AFI KLM E&M to provide component and APU support for India’s Akasa Air

Air France KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) has been awarded a component support contract by India’s Akasa Air. AFI KLM E&M subsidiary EPCOR will also provide dedicated APU solutions.

The group MRO will supply the airline with an adaptive package of flight-hour solutions including repair services, access to a spare parts pool, provision of a main base kit (MBK) and dedicated logistical support.

The agreement covers an extensive range of components, including the line replaceable units (LRU) for the engines as well as the APUs fitted on Akasa Air’s fleet of Boeing 737 MAX 8s.

On the APU side, the services delivered by EPCOR will cover the repair and maintenance of GTCP131-9B APUs (fitted on the 737 MAX), the provision of replacement units, health monitoring/fleet management assistance using the ‘PROGNOS for APU’ platform, and engineering-as-a-service.

“We’re proud of the trust placed in us by Akasa Air, a young and dynamic airline from the Indian sub-continent,” said KLM Engineering & Maintenance’s EVP Ton Dortmans. “We’re fully committed to supporting their ambitions and development by providing the best available solutions in component support, drawing upon our extensive expertise with the 737/737 MAX product.”

EPCOR’s commercial director Rob van de Graaf commented: “The breakthrough by EPCOR in the Indian area means that the market needs alternative solutions based on an airline-MRO mindset. It showcases our APU know-how in a general sense and our expertise in the GTCP131-9B more specifically.

“Our services are designed to keep the airline’s APUs in the sky for as long as possible, combining our expertise and flexibility in adapting our solutions to align perfectly with their operational needs. It opens the door to a long-term partnership around the APUs of its young and growing 737 fleet.”

Akasa Air’s co-founder and SVP – head of operations Neelu Khatri stated: “The Indian aviation industry bears immense potential having exponentially grown to become the third largest domestic aviation market in the world. We are delighted to enable AFI KLM E&M’s group to further expand its leading position into the Indian market through this partnership.

“We are India’s newest airline, with the greenest and youngest fleet in the country. Reliable operations and fuel efficiency are the cornerstones of our operations strategy, that will allow Akasa Air to provide a dependable service offering in India, today and for many years to come.”

The airline’s vice president, maintenance & engineering Daniel Saldanha said: “Being able to rely upon the experience of a globally renowned MRO such as AFI KLM E&M network is a mark of confidence for our airline. Given its know-how, its international network, the experience of its teams and its high standards of service quality, AFI KLM E&M is undoubtedly the apt partner of choice for Akasa Air in the field of MRO, providing comprehensive support for our continued growth.”

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