Extreme temperatures, sand and dust can cause a multitude of problems for an aircraft, and are particular issues for airlines operating in the Middle East.
Airlines in the region often need to manage delays and cancellations at short notice to conduct unforeseen engine maintenance resulting from hot and unpredictable environmental conditions.
These issues don’t just affect maintenance costs, they also increase the risk of in-flight shutdowns, reduce the service life of engine components and degrade engine efficiency.
In July 2010 Nesma Airlines, Egypt’s newest carrier with a fleet of two leased Airbus A320-200s, launched its first flight. Announcing its commitment to quality and safety meant Nesma employed only the best professionals in the Egyptian aviation market and made changes to its fleet’s existing engine components to improve efficiency.
One of the most significant changes was switching the fleet’s current engine oil to Air BP Lubricants High Performance Capable (HPC) Turbine Oil 2197 (BPTO 2197). The recommendation to switch oils came from the aircraft’s former operator, who had previously experienced the added benefits of using BPTO 2197 in other aircraft.
Nesma Airlines’ engineering manager Khaled Saif said the airline chose to switch to BPTO 2197 for two reasons.
“We chose to take the advice of the aircraft’s previous operator and change to BPTO 2197 firstly because of the high quality of the oil, and also because of the excellent customer support offered by Air BP Lubricants in Egypt,” Mr Saif said.
Three years on, the airline has reported better engine performance, reduced maintenance issues and notable cost savings, an impressive achievement for an airline operating in the Middle Eastern climate.
“Since using BPTO 2197 we have had a reduction in engine maintenance and costs, as well as a decline in oil coking propensity,” he said.
BPTO 2197 is the oil of choice for many of the world’s airlines and is a market leading aviation lubricant.
About Air BP Lubricants
Air BP Lubricants specializes in developing aviation lubricant solutions for the commercial aviation industry. The business supports aviation turbine oil technology through new product development as well as providing customer and manufacturing support. As the industry’s leading turbine oil provider, Air BP Lubricants supplies the cleanest, most technologically advanced lubricants to major airlines, private operators, helicopter and military customers. Air BP Lubricants has a strong presence globally via direct sales as well as being represented locally through key distributors.
About Nesma Airlines
Nesma Airlines is an Egyptian company with a Saudi Arabian share holding. The airline operates regular scheduled and chartered flights to major European and Middle Eastern destinations including Cairo, Tabouk, Taif, France, the UK and Germany. Nesma Airlines has become the carrier of choice for some of the most well known tour operators in Europe, and also provides ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) / Damp Lease services. Nesma Airlines was one of the fastest established companies in the Middle East.
