Etihad Airways Engineering, the largest commercial aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services provider in the Middle East, has announced that it will extend its industry leading aircraft maintenance and engineering services to VIP aircraft.
As a part of the Etihad Aviation Group and the airline MRO of Etihad Airways, Etihad Airways Engineering continues to expand a formidable capability to design, certify, install and maintain the finest cabins in the sky for Etihad Airways, its equity partners and third-party customers around the world.
Strategically located in one of the most prominent hubs of VIP operators, Etihad Airways Engineering has developed a strong capability to offer VIP operators value-added heavy maintenance services along with full cabin removal, refurbishment and reinstallation.
The company is currently carrying out heavy maintenance on a VIP Airbus A320 aircraft project in collaboration with French cabin interior specialist Aircraft Interior Products (AIP), a Finaero company, and its newly Dubai based entity AIP-Greenline, Aviation Interiors. More VIP aircraft projects are on the cards in the coming months.
Jeff Wilkinson, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways Engineering, said, “We will leverage our long-standing experience in maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft from the Airbus A300 to the latest platforms like the A380 and the Boeing 787, along with our expertise and exponentially growing cabin capability to perform heavy checks for Airbus Corporate Jets and Boeing Business Jets.
“We already maintain the entire fleet of Etihad Airways, an airline known for the highest cabin standards. Now, our industry leading aircraft maintenance and engineering solutions, which we offer to commercial, cargo, charter, low-cost and leisure operators, are being extended to corporate and VIP operators. Our intent is not to become a VIP completion centre, but the one-stop destination for heavy checks for VIP aircraft in the region and beyond,” he added.
Etihad Airways Engineering was the first organisation in the Middle East to be granted an extended Part21J Design Organisation Approval (DOA) by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to undertake major cabin design and modification, and is fully equipped to design and certify major changes to cabin interiors, galleys or other interior equipment and related structure, and environmental and electrical systems.
The company recently became the first airline MRO organisation in the Middle East to be granted a Part21G Production Organisation Approval (POA) by the EASA, which entitles it to manufacture interior parts such as seat covers, carpets, curtains, decals and markings alongside composite and other cabin structures and release them with an EASA Airworthiness Certificate. This enables installation of these parts onto aircraft registered in Europe or in any country recognising EASA certificates.
Etihad Airways Engineering also holds an approval from the EASA to design and certify 3D-printed parts for aircraft interiors. The extensive cabin repair and modification facilities available onsite at the Etihad Airways Engineering facility in Abu Dhabi include cabin back shops to refurbish and fabricate seat covers, armrests, head rest fabric and leather, monuments, decals and more.
Complementing its design and certification capabilities, Etihad Airways Engineering has the first Flammability Test Laboratory in the Middle East, launched in association with Lantal Textiles AG, for customers – including VIP operators – to provide test services including flammability tests, seat cushion tests, heat release and smoke tests.
Etihad Airways Engineering continues to invest in infrastructure to support the growing business. Aircraft hangars at the facility cover approximately 42,000 sq metres, including 10,000 sq metres of aircraft painting facilities and a custom-designed hangar that can accommodate up to three Airbus A380 aircraft simultaneously.
