Czech Airlines Technics Launches Aircraft Paint Shop Construction
Czech Airlines Technics is expanding its service portfolio to include aircraft painting. The construction of the new paint shop in Hangar S at Václav Havel Airport Prague started in April and should be completed in October this year. The Prague Airport subsidiary has responded to the increased demand for the service with this investment of 75 million crowns and plans to paint approximately 25 aircraft per year in the future.
“This new service will allow us to become a One Stop Shop, i.e., a place where it will be possible to carry out the required maintenance and provide the aircraft with new paint without the need for a flyover. Until now, the absence of a paint shop has put us at a disadvantage in a number of tenders. Therefore, we are very happy that we will soon eliminate this deficit and significantly strengthen the competitiveness of Czech Airlines Technics on the market. Painting is a very attractive service, especially for leasing companies, who will appreciate this option when handing over aircraft to new clients, but I believe that our long-term clients will also be interested in the paint shop’s services,” said Petr Doberský, chairman of the Czech Airlines Technics Board of Directors.
Hangar S with an area of 2,100 square meters launched its operations in 2018 and has been used for line maintenance until now. As part of the conversion to a paint shop, air conditioning and other necessary equipment will be installed in the hangar. After the reconstruction is completed, a six-month trial operation will follow, during which the relevant authorities will verify the safety of the operation.
“I am glad that our subsidiary is doing well. Last year, Czech Airlines Technics returned to the black for the first time since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, when it recorded earnings of 41 million crowns. I believe that the company’s financial recovery will continue and, together with the new paint shop, will be a positive signal for a potential strategic partner we started looking for last year. In this context, we have received a number of offers which we are now evaluating,” added Jiří Pos, chairman of the Prague Airport Board of Directors.
During the main maintenance season, which runs from October to May, Czech Airlines Technics mainly processes orders from long-term clients, which include Transavia, Austrian Airlines, and Finnair. In 2023, the company carried out a total of 76 base maintenance revisions on B737, B737 MAX, A320 Family, and A321neo aircraft for all its customers. Outside the main maintenance season, the company mainly processes job orders placed by leasing companies.
