Aerostar Commercial Aviation MRO Goes from Strength to Strength
June 3, 2019 - Aerostar S.A. is exhibiting at the Airline Purchasing & Maintenance Exhibition in Frankfurt (June 5-6)) to showcase its growing civil aircraft MRO activities.
During 2018 Aerostar recorded its highest ever throughput of Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families aircraft heavy checks with 104 aircraft passing through its Bacau facility for ‘C’ and ‘D’ checks (79 Boeing 737 family and 25 A320 family).
These aircraft were from 22 different customers, of which seven were new customers. Included among the new customers was Air France which booked four A320 family aircraft in for heavy checks.
The first aircraft, F-HEPG, was the prototype for the A320 installation of the Internet Connectivity via Satellite package; it is an Aeroconseil modernisation bulletin implemented on three aircraft. The work also included a passenger cabin full refurbishment.
Also in 2018 Aerostar performed Europe’s first base maintenance inspection on an A320neo – LEAP 1A aircraft - of long-standing customer Pegasus Airlines of Turkey. By the end of 2018 a further four A320neos had passed through Aerostar’s shops.
So far in 2019, Aerostar has re-delivered to operators a total of 26 aircraft after heavy maintenance checks (19 B737 and 7 A320 aircraft).
To meet increased demand construction is now well underway on a new 4-bay MRO hangar at Iasi International Airport in northeast Romania and is expected to be completed at the end of 2019. This new hangar will increase Aerostar’s throughput of Airbus A320ceo and neo families and Boeing 737 Classic and New Generation overhauls by up to 40 percent.
The new facility lies 130km north of Aerostar’s existing business operations at Bacau where the two existing dedicated hangars provide six/seven aircraft bays which are invariably full during the peak maintenance periods.
Aerostar has also increased its capabilities and experience for the installation of STC modifications to include the WiFi Global Airconnect System and ACARS Datalink Systems Installations.
In parallel, AEROSTAR is continuing the courses to licence the personnel and complete the Part-66 authorisations for the licence personnel of the Part 145 organisation, both for Bacau and the new Centre in Iasi.