Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance and AAR Form New Joint Venture
AAR CORP. has officially partnered with Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) to form joint venture xCelle Asia and received regulatory approval.
xCelle Asia will be based in Chonburi, Thailand and will complete nacelle overhauls for next-generation aircraft in the APAC region.
Several OEMs have licensed xCelle Asia to perform repairs like:
- Nacelle maintenance, repair and overhaul
- On-wing and on-site inspections
- Rotable support for next-gen aircraft nacelles
While the company will eventually add more engine and aircraft types to its capabilities, xCelle Asia currently plans to focus on:
- GEnx
- Trent1000
- LEAP-1A/1B engine types
“This joint venture markedly expands our service offerings in the Asia-Pacific region and furthers our ability to deliver high quality, industry leading solutions to our customers,” said Jim Berberet, senior vice president of Component Services at AAR.
Berberet continued, “We are looking forward to replicating our current success in the Americas by combining the experience of AAR’s highly regarded Component Services team in Thailand with AFI KLM E&M’s global network.”
Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at AFI KLM E&M Benjamin Moreau stated, “The creation of xCelle Asia represents a major step forward in strengthening our global MRO network.”
Moreau added, “By expanding our nacelle capabilities into the Asia-Pacific region, we are positioning ourselves to deliver world-class, next-generation support closer to our customers.”
“This new venture reflects our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and operational excellence, and we are proud to bring our expertise to one of the world’s most dynamic aviation markets,” said Moreau.