Aircraft maintenance solutions company FL Technics is to start construction of new MRO infrastructure at the second busiest airport in the Caribbean, Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ).

The facility will include five bays for base maintenance operations including a complex of supporting shops.

The hangar and bay facilities will span 20,000 square metres, and the total area of the new infrastructure will be 52,000 square metres.

FL Technics expects the construction process to take two years, with the finished facility aiming to support the growing fleet of narrowbody aircraft operated in the Americas.

The company will leverage its global expertise and Part-145 capabilities certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

Zilvinas Lapinskas, chief executive of FL Technics, said: “This expansion is our first physical base maintenance foothold in the region, following the existing FL Technics operations in the Americas, including line maintenance network in Canada.

“It is a decisive investment as we aim to provide comprehensive MRO solutions to create long-term partnerships and a base for other future developments in the continent.”

Giovanni Rainieri, airside operations director at PUJ, said: “We are pleased to announce our strategic alliance with FL Technics to offer world-class MRO services at Punta Cana International Airport and Punta Cana Free Trade Zone.

“With this strategic alliance, airport customers will have access to a wide range of aircraft maintenance and repair services, including scheduled inspections, component repairs, cabin modifications, and painting, among others.”

Saulius Bajarunas, chief operating officer at FL Technics, said: “Strategic and operational business development requires meticulous planning and evaluation, especially when it comes to complex projects in new markets.

“I trust this new infrastructure will become the foundation for future expansion of the new MRO hub, as the FL Technics team will apply best practices already proven successful in other continents.”

In the second stage of the Punta Cana project, FL Technics intends to expand by incorporating an additional seven bays, resulting in a combined total of 12 operational bays at the hub.