Iberia Maintenance, AJ Walter Aviation and British Airways have signed a contract for the supply and repair of components of the 22 Airbus A320s and seven Airbus A330s operated by Thomas Cook Airlines UK and Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia.
The agreement covers the replacement of parts with those in the spare parts pool, repair, and the consignment or handover of a series of avionic components for the exclusive use of the two carriers.
AJ Walter Aviation will receive the avionics components from Thomas Cook Airlines UK, and Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia and will send them to Iberia or British Airways to be repaired. The Spanish airline will handle repairs of the A330 parts, while the British company will handle those of the A320. The exclusive, price-by-hour type contract is for a five-year period, renewable for another three.
It is the first maintenance contract involving both Iberia and British Airways, which are now engaged in a merger process.
Iberia will carry out the maintenance work covered by the contract with Thomas Cook Airlines UK and Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia in the workshops of the Components Unit in Madrid, with six productions lines on a 14,500 m2 site. This unit is licensed to maintain Airbus A330, A320 and A340 parts, along with those of the B757, B767, B777, CRJ900, and MD80. Among its clients are Air Nostrum, British Airways, Finnair, Meridiana, Onur Air, SAS, Spanair, Vietnam Airlines and Vueling.
AJ Walter Aviation is a leading firm dedicated to the supply and exchange of avionics system components. Based in the UK, it employs 200 people around the world to serve 700 customer airlines in 100 countries.
The British Airways Maintenance Division has 80 years of experience maintaining and repairing the airline's own fleet and those of other customers. Its avionic components unit is located on a 132,000 m2 site in South Wales, with 245 employees engaged in maintaining electric, electronic, and electro-mechanical parts, as well as in-flight entertainment systems.
Iberia Maintenance is responsible for maintaining the Iberia fleet and those of another 200 customers around the world, including DHL and such airlines as Cathay Pacific, Xiamen Airlines, Meridiana, Continental Airlines, and Air Europa. In 2009 it carried out 149 C and D checks on aircraft, while inspecting and repairing 208 aircraft engines, along with 55,000 components.
