In partnership with Regional Compagnie Aérienne Européenne, AFI KLM E&M Position Themselves in the Embraer Airplane Market

June 30, 2010
AFI KLM E&M is expanding its range of maintenance solutions to include support services for Embraer airplanes.

Paris, Amstelveen, 30 June 2010 - AFI KLM E&M is expanding its range of maintenance solutions to include comprehensive or customized support services for Embraer airplanes. The MRO is largely based on expertise developed by its subsidiary Regional for the maintenance of its exclusively Embraer fleet – the ERJ (135 & 145) and the E-Jet (from E170 to E195) families.

AFI KLM E&M and Regional have now pooled their expertise and know-how to offer a full range of products and services for Embraer, covering both the ERJ and E-Jet families. This means that customers can benefit from AFI KLM E&M for component support and cabin modification, as well as its wide-ranging international network and broad portfolio of services. Regional, meanwhile, supplies major and minor overhauls and a wide range of maintenance and engineering services, as well as comprehensive cabin modifications with turnkey solutions. Air France’s subsidiary also offers special customized services. Regional has already carried out 133 C checks on ERJ fleets and 12 C checks on E-Jet planes. Regional is Part 145-, Part M-, Part 147- and IOSA-certified.

Regional’s ambitious development strategy involves building new industrial facilities by 2011. Its hangar surface area will expand to 18,000 sq. m, giving the company greater flexibility in its slot capacity, with 4 E-Jet bays or 7 ERJ bays available. And in Clermont-Ferrand, Regional will leverage local skills and high-performance capacities in sheet metal work, composite materials, wiring and cabin decoration.

"Customers will benefit from AFI KLM E&M’s expertise and power, combined with Regional’s knowledge and experience with Embraer airplanes," said Fabrice Defrance, Development and Sales Director at AFI. "With AFI KLM E&M,” added Raymond Topin, Director of Maintenance at Regional, “we shall be able to offer a single supplier service to cover our customers’ entire needs.”

About Regional. Regional Compagnie Aérienne Européenne is a 100% subsidiary of Air France. With maintenance services based in France at Clermont-Ferrand and Lille, Regional has been growing its business customer since 2007, with sales that have grown continuously from €4.5 million in 2008 to €6.6 million in 2009, and an expected €9 million in 2010. With a total workforce of 530 employees dedicated to aircraft support, Regional can meet the requirements of a large number of external customers, including Baboo, CAI First, Alitalia, wind Rose, GECAS, Airlinair, Regourd Aviation, Petro Air, Luxair and Air Caraïbes.

About AFI KLM E&M. Air France Industries and KLM Engineering & Maintenance, which joined forces following the Air France KLM merger, are world-leading multi-product MRO (Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul) providers with a joint workforce of over 14,000, offering comprehensive technical support for airlines, ranging from engineering and line maintenance to Engine overhaul and the management, repair and supply of aircraft components, structured around a powerful logistics network. Together they support more than 1,230 aircraft operated by 150 major international airlines.