To support the A380 components, we have set up a joint venture with Lufthansa Techniks. Spairliners now provides full component support from repair to AOG assistance. For A380 operators, this is a one-stop-shop service that greatly reduce the complexities normally associated with the provision of spare parts, both at the home base and at the destination airports.
Spairliners operations, main inventory and logistics are based on the Roissy-Charles de Gaulle platform.
It signed its first contract with Australian carrier Qantas. The 10-year flight-hour deal covers full component support for the fleet of Qantas A380s.
Spairliners will also support the fleets of Air France and Lufthansa (27 aircraft). We offer our A380 customers cost-benefits that are normally only achievable by large fleets of the same aircraft type.
The double-deck superjumbo is making its entry as the largest passenger airliner in the world. Being a category in itself, it requires major changes to the standard infrastructure to operate it. This applies to maintenance as well. Air France Industries has geared up to accommodate this giant in a new purpose-built hangar.
All A380 airframe maintenance support will be carried out in the specially-designed hangar at our Roissy-CDG facility. Our mother airline started A380 operation in 2009 and its extensive fleet will allow us to capitalize on new or specific maintenance aspects that may be generated by this new generation aircraft.
We also maintain privileged relations with Airbus and related OEMs.
The double-deck superjumbo is making its entry as the largest passenger airliner in the world. Being a category in itself, it requires major changes to the standard infrastructure to operate it. This applies to maintenance as well. Air France Industries has geared up to accommodate this giant in a new purpose-built hangar.
Air France started operating its first A380 in late 2009, and plans to operate the world's second-largest fleet of GP7200 engines. It is the latest engine type to be added to AFI KLM E&M MRO capabilities. As a member of the Engine Alliance MRO Network, we have already implemented large-scale industrial development and we currently perform engine disassembly / reassembly, quick turn, and hospital chain work, plus on-wing support at our facilities around Paris.
As a major operator of A380 and other Airbus aircraft, AFI KLM E&M shares its experience to support airlines during their A380 phase-in, from the GP7200 maintenance policy definition, to engine pre-delivery inspections during their assembly at the manufacturer's facilities.
Our fully-trained, dedicated team provides comprehensive on-wing services to support GP7200 operators all over the world, including fan-blade replacement, LRU changes, full video borescope inspections, and blade blending, fan & propulsor splitting-mating, and on-wing engine changes. to this end, AFI KLM E&M provides house-keeping of one spare GP7200 engine in its dedicated A380 hangar at its Roissy-CDG base.
In the coming years, AFI KLM E&M will extend its in-house expertise to full overhaul and repair capability including module disassembly, module repairs, test and repairs of major engine components (including LRUs), and inspection and repairs of turbine center frames (TCF) and combustion chambers. In addition, from mid-2012, AFI KLM E&M will start operating a brand-new Engine Test Cell specially designed for latest generation of Very Big Engines, such as the GE90 and the GP7200.
All these developments and our experience on the GP7200, combined with our expertise on the GE90 (which is very similar in design), aim at providing our customers with the best possible maintenance costs, especially by avoiding costly part replacement whenever a repair offers a better reliability/cost ratio.
