SABENA AEROSPACE AND ECAIR JOIN HANDS TO CREATE EASA APPROVED MRO
(Posted 23rd July 2015)
Information is emerging from Brazzaville, the Republic of Congo’s capital city, that Sabena Aerospace, formerly known as Sabena Technic, and EC Air, the national airline of Congo, have signed a partnership deal with the aim to establish an EASA approved MRO.
Maintenance and Repair Organizations have to meet global standards to be recognized and approved by such global aviation heavyweights as the FAA or EASA and no doubt will Sabena Aerospace bring their proven expertise and operational methods into the new company.
While airlines registered in the Republic of Congo are generally banned from Europe as a result of weak oversight and enforcement has EC Air smartly circumnavigated this hurdle by operating several of their aircraft under an ACMI lease from airlines subject to European aviation rules, making it possible for fly to such destinations like Paris.
The new joint venture company, in which the Belgian partner will hold a 51 percent majority, will ensure that in house maintenance will comply with EASA standards Part 145, 147 and 21.
Active maintenance is expected to be online by Q4 of this year, initially starting with line maintenance and so called A-checks before later expanding the services when a new maintenance hangar has been constructed at the Maya Maya International Airport.
Notably had Sabena Aerospace also set up a maintenance base across the Congo river in Kinshasha which equally attained EASA approval and already carries out major maintenance work.
EC Air is host airline this year of the AFRAA Annual General Assembly which will take place in November in Brazzaville while the airline’s CEO Fatima Beyina – Moussa is the current president of AFRAA.
