Rio de Janeiro, September 12, 2007 – The tests for approval of the first Airbus A321 aircraft to fly in Brazil were held at VEM Maintenance and Engineering. Tests for evacuation with emergency equipment (inflatable slide) and for crew training, were held, yesterday, for the purpose of evaluation and certification by Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC).
In light of the increasing partnership between TAM and VEM, and of ANAC’s proximity to the VEM hangar – the largest in Latin America, with a 136-meter open span and a total area of 14,450 m2 – VEM was chosen as the ideal place for holding the evacuation and crew tests for this new airplane model. A team of eight ANAC inspectors were present to certify the aircraft and crew. Fifty crew members participated, including flight attendants, pilots and copilots, mechanics and TAM managers, plus a support team from VEM.
During the simulation, the trained crew had fifteen seconds to evacuate the crew members participating in the training session, through one of the doors, by activating the slide, that had to inflate during the same period of time. For this certification, the local authorities cut off all of the power in the airplane, simulating a general failure, and blocked one of the doors, in an attempt to experience a real situation with the possible difficulties a crew could face. Everything came off perfectly and certification was successfully obtained.
"VEM is a company that focuses on customer satisfaction. Therefore, with these actions, we are seeking to increase, more and more, the relationship with our customers and accrue value to their activities," said Mr. Nestor Koch, VEM’s new Vice President of Marketing and Sales.
