MRO Middle East: Sabena looking for jv for airframe MRO role

Speaking at the MRO Middle East show today, Christophe Bernardini, Sabena’s chief executive, said that the demand for airframe maintenance would grow over the next decade.

“You only have to look at the projections,” he said. “There are currently 860 aircraft flying in the region. By 2030 that figure will be more than 2,000.

Airframes are difficult but we don’t think carriers from the region want to fly to Europe or the US for maintenance they will want to be in the region.

“We are one of the oldest MRO companies in western Europe and have the skills and the experience as well as Part 147 which will allow us to train people in the region and offer a full airframe service.”

Bernardini said Sabena Technic expected there to be competition from Asia but a joint venture organisation based in the Gulf should succeed.

The company has its main base in Bordeaux and has successfully developed an MRO business at Monastir in Tunisia.

“There were some concerns during the period of the Arab Spring,” Bernardini said, “But things are going well there now with us and our partner Nouvelair.” Work at the companies’ shared base at Monastir in Tunisia includes repair work on the Libyan carrier Afriqiyah’s fleet.