Gulf Air, the Kingdom of Bahrain's national carrier, has entrusted maintenance of the APS5000 auxiliary power units (APU) equipping the airline's 10 new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft to AFI KLM E&M. On the occasion of His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa King of Bahrain visit to France, the contract was signed today, during a ceremony organized by the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) under the patronage of the MEDEF, France's main organization of business owners.
Press release
Gulf Air Contracts APU Support For its Incoming Boeing 787s To EPCOR
Paris, Amstelveen, Bahrain, April 29, 2019
After extending an A330 APU support contract in 2015, this new agreement cements the trust-based relationship between Gulf Air and the AFI KLM E&M global MRO network.
The long-term contract includes a guarantee covering APU replacement. The repair services will be provided by AFI KLM E&M subsidiary EPCOR, global market leader for MRO support for APUs. Gulf Air will benefit from AFI KLM E&M exclusive predictive maintenance solution: PROGNOS® for APU. Designed, built and marketed by EPCOR, this innovative offering was launched in September 2017. Just like its predecessors PROGNOS® for Engine and PROGNOS® for Aircraft, PROGNOS® for APU uses Big Data technologies to monitor the performance of APUs and predict faults, ultimately helping to rationalize maintenance work and avoid shop visits and excess costs for client airlines, a major competitive advantage. PROGNOS® for APU is now the market-leading solution for APU predictive maintenance, monitoring more than 600 APUs around the world, including those of Gulf Air's 787.
This latest contract marks the renewal of Gulf Air's trust in the AFI KLM E&M network. The collaboration between the two companies started several years ago with the repair of Gulf Air's CFM56 engines and the airline currently uses AFI KLM E&M services for component support on its existing fleet of A320s and A330s, and those of its Dubai-based AMES subsidiary for nacelle and radome repairs. EPCOR, for its part, has provided APU support for the Bahraini carrier's Airbus A330s for a number of years.
“EPCOR's proven TAT and service quality performance observed in the framework of our A330 APU contract convinced us to extend our partnership to this new type of APU and we are pleased to continue our relationship with them as we prepare to welcome new aircraft into our fleet.”
Krešimir Kucko
Gulf Air Chief Executive Officer
EPCOR Managing Director, Martijn de Vries added: "Our leadership position for APU maintenance, repair and predictive solutions means we can guarantee unrivalled reliability and experience for our clients. The renewed trust Gulf Air has honoured us with is most definitely a bonus for our development in a region with fast-growing MRO requirements."
About Gulf Air
Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, commenced operations in 1950, becoming one of the first commercial airlines established in the Middle East. Today, Gulf Air is a major international carrier serving 47 cities in 26 countries. The airline operates double daily flights or more to 10 regional cities, in addition to select destinations in the Indian Subcontinent and Europe, from its hub at Bahrain International Airport. Gulf Air currently serves all its destinations with a combination of wide and narrow body fleet of 36 aircraft. The modern fleet will herald a new era for Gulf Air as it continues to enhance its product and service offering. Renowned for its traditional Arabian hospitality, evidenced by the airline's signature family and business friendly products, Gulf Air is committed to being an industry leader and developing products and services that reflect the evolving needs and aspirations of its passengers. Gulf Air connects Bahrain to the world and, as such, is a key national infrastructure asset, serving as a powerful driver for the economy and supporting the Kingdom's on-going economic growth. With its mobile app and Bahrain stopover programme, the airline promotes Bahrain as a tourist destination to the world. Gulf Air has been the Title Sponsor of the FORMULA 1 GULF AIR BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX ever since it made history as the first Formula 1 Grand Prix to be held in the Middle East in 2004. In addition, the airline has been Official Carrier of the biennial Bahrain International Airshow since it was first held in 2010.
About EPCOR
EPCOR is a wholly owned subsidiary of KLM NV, part of the AIR FRANCE KLM group, holding 14 certificates of which EASA, FAA, CAAC, CAAV and FAR 145. Within the group EPCOR provides MRO support for the APUs and pneumatic systems of a wide range of commercial aircraft. EPCOR maintains APUs on Boeing 737NG, 737MAX, 777 and 787 Airbus A320 (GTCP131-9A & APS3200), A330, A340 and the APS2300 APU for the Embraer 170/190 aircraft. EPCOR is a licensed and OEM warranty approved Honeywell and Pratt & Whitney Canada (former HSPS) Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) repair center. Besides the APU capability EPCOR also maintains and overhauls air cycle machines on 737, 777, 787 and Emb170/190, 787 Cabin Air Compressor (CAC), environmental control systems, starters, leading-edge flap drive units and many other pneumatic and nitrogen components installed on large commercial aircraft.
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