Bahrain 2012: AeroThrust to set up new engine facility in Bahrain

The deal, announced in partnership with the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) at the show, will see a 94,000sqft facility being developed at the Bahrain International Park that will employ around 120 people – about 35% of them Bahrainis.

Right: Vijay Arumbakkam, AeroThrust Gulf Aviation’s chairman (left) and Sheikh Mohammed bin Essa Al-Khalifa, chief executive of Bahrain’s Economic Development Board.

It is hoped that the new site can be up and running in six to eight months.

AeroThrust Gulf Aviation Services, as the company will be known, will concentrate on overhauling the CFM 56 series of engines used on narrow-bodied aircraft, such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737, and the Pratt and Whitney JD8, as used on older Boeing 727s and MD80s.
Vijay Arumbakkam, AeroThrust Gulf Aviation’s chairman, said that the JD8 was commonly used by airlines operating in North Africa, while local carriers were using the newer CFM.

“We took a long hard look at the region and realised that there was a market for engines used in the narrow-body sector. Many potential customers would otherwise have to take their engines to Europe or the US for overhaul, so we feel there is a lot of potential,” Arumbakkam said.

The facility will also undertake non-destructive testing (NDT) and plating, and a test cell is planned for the future.

Announcing the new MRO facility, Sheikh Mohammed bin Essa Al-Khalifa, chief executive of Bahrain’s Economic Development Board, said that the deal showed what a sound business environment the kingdom had to offer.

“We have a cost-effective operations base and a highly-skilled workforce,” he said. “Bahrain has a proud heritage in the aviation sector and offers a strong location from which to do business across the Gulf region.”

The Bahrain Economic Development Board, which helped broker the deal, is a public agency with responsibility for formulating and overseeing the economic development strategy of the kingdom, and attracting direct investment.

Chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, it has played a leading role in a number of important initiatives, including the hosting of the Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix.