Aeroflot-Don, a 51 percent subsidiary of Russian flag carrier Aeroflot, and Lufthansa Technik, the leading provider for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of airplanes, components and engines, signed a technical support agreement for the new Boeing 737-500 fleet. The initial two Boeing aircraft joined Aeroflot-Don's fleet in August and will be complemented by an additional four 737s in 2007.
Over the next six years Lufthansa Technik will serve the fleet of all together six Boeing 737-500 airplanes via a Total Component Support TCS contract with the provision of components at the carrier's hub Rostov-on-Don. The contract enables Aeroflot-Don to participate in one of the world's largest pools for aircraft components whereof more than 500 different part numbers of LRUs (Line Replaceable Unit) have been pre-selected. The contract comprises as well of Lufthansa Technik's MRO services for APUs (Auxiliary Power Units) and personal assignment during the start-up phase. On request Airframe Related Component ARC services, which cover repairs for composite materials like thrust reversers, engine support and C-checks are provided.
"The new cooperation with Lufthansa Technik is part of our commitment to offer the most reliable and encompassing service to the Russian aviation market. Their technical commitment and on-site support will facilitate our entry-into-service phase and strengthen our position in a tough environment, which will be crucial for our future success," said Youri Lebedev, Technical Director, Aeroflot-Don.
"We greatly appreciate the trust Aeroflot-Don is placing in us and our strong record of supporting start-up operations. Being a partner of Aeroflot Russian Airlines from the introduction of the first Western-built aircraft type in the beginning 90s we are very excited to turn over a new leaf," said Dmitri Zaitsev, Regional Director Eastern Europe and CIS of Lufthansa Technik. "Aeroflot-Don will take advantage of a dedicated Total Component Support TCS package which brings scale effects and savings of big fleets to operators of smaller or new fleets operating western-built aircraft in Russia and the CIS."
Since the 1990s Lufthansa Technik supports not only the daily operation but especially the phase-in of western-built airplanes like the Airbus A310 & A320 family and Boeing 737, 757, 767 & 777 to various carriers in the region. "On the basis of our existing partnerships - and of course for new start-up airlines and fast growing carriers - we are ready to give further support to an aviation market that is bound to grow in the course of the coming decade. Our commitment to the region will stay strong and back up the striving for a higher degree of self-sufficiency," said Zaitsev.
Lufthansa Technik's enduring market success in Eastern Europe and the CIS has been due not only to its work quality and close partnerships but also to the fact that it has locally available representatives in Moscow and Tashkent. Especially services out of the "T-product family" like Total Engine Support TES, Total Component Support TCS and Total Technical Support TTS are very popular with Russian carriers.
