SR Technics Wins $55 Million Contract From Air India

News

Aviation Daily Feb 25 , 2010 , p. 11
Neelam Mathews

Zurich-based SR Technics has signed a two-year extension of its engine services contract with the holding company of Air India, National Aviation Co. of India Ltc (NACIL) for maintenance services on CFM56-5B and CFM56-7B engines.

Unlike many in the business that have suffered an average 20% downturn worldwide, SR Technics is seeing healthy business traffic. The two-year contract, valued at $55 million, covers 61 aircraft in Air India’s Airbus A320-family and Boeing 737-800 fleet. The work will be done at SR Technics Engine Maintenance Center in Zurich.

SR Technics has been Air India’s preferred maintenance services provider for CFM56-5B, -7B and PW4168 engines since 2007, when it opened a sales office in Mumbai to establish a presence in the India market as part of its Asian growth strategy. The company currently provides engine maintenance, overhaul and repair services on the Pratt & Whitney PW4168A engines on Air India’s Airbus A330-200 aircraft and full component support for Air India’s Airbus A330-200 aircraft under an Integrated Component Solutions (ICS) agreement.

“We are delighted to have won this contract with Air India, which once again demonstrates their confidence and trust in SR Technics and the world-class service quality and reliability that it represents,” said Ray Sisson, chief commercial officer of SR Technics. “This contract is another step towards fulfilling our growth strategy in international markets.”

SR Technics is offering aircraft operators a 45-day turnaround for engine maintenance, reducing the engine lease times and number of spare engines needed. In January, the first engine maintained under the new contract was delivered to Hapag Lloyd Flug GmbH.

However, for engines from India, the turnaround time can go up to 60 days, a safety expert told The DAILY, because the environment in Delhi and major cities contains a lot of smog that blocks the cooling holes and damages the blades, creating corrosion and oxidation from the inside.

Other airlines in India that SR Technics counts as customers are budget carrier Jetlite and Air India, which has a component contract for its A330s. More than 130 companies tap the engine services offered by SR Technics. These include MRO work on engines and engine components for CFM56-5B, -5C and -7B and PW4000- 94 and -100 engines, as well as engineering services.

It also offers 24-hour on-wing support, trend monitoring, comprehensive material management and engine leasing support.