Joramco
Although the Middle East’s MRO sector was expanding more than the global average annually pre-crisis, a perceived challenge still existed in the lack of repair capabilities and repair specialists in certain segments. Some of these were in areas such as component repairs. In recent times, the likes of Lufthansa Technik Middle East have looked to address this by building up its spare component levels and repair capabilities, including for the Boeing 787 nacelle, while establishing itself as a center of excellence for GE90 thrust reversers.In the engine segment, Sanad Aerotech has added new agreements for certain engine types. In January 2020, it began GEnx overhauls with more than 300 engines expected over a 15-year period. It will also handle the Leap 1A and 1B, with the engines representing a new product platform in its portfolio. This service will start in 2021 as a 10-year agreement and will see more than 200 engines inducted over that time frame. Joramco, meanwhile, has boosted its base maintenance capabilities and is undertaking work in Amman for the likes of Ryanair.
Joramco and Ryanair have extended their base maintenance agreement following the successful completion of heavy checks on 11 of the airline’s Boeing 737NG aircraft between November 2019 and June 2020.
Under the airline’s first base maintenance agreement with Joramco, it booked two parallel lines at the MRO’s Amman, Jordan facility during the winter season. “We are pleased with the level of service provided by Joramco over the course of the winter season,” says Andrew Holder, deputy director heavy maintenance, Ryanair. “Our maintenance program and requirements are extensive and the team at Joramco have done a great job of meeting all of our requirements and standards whilst maintaining a portion of our fleet.”
According to a representative for Joramco, the COVID-19 pandemic raised some challenges for the logistics of these checks, but its teams “worked proactively to come up with solutions, which meant the checks were still performed on time and met expectations.”
The new line of checks will cover five 737NGs, followed by seven Airbus A320s operated by Ryanair subsidiary Lauda. The checks began on July 15 and will continue through March 2021.
“We are looking forward to starting a new and productive season after the slowdown caused by the global situation, and our teams are eager to get back to what they do best,” says Joramco CEO Jeff Wilkinson. He adds that the MRO is continuously expanding and improving its capabilities, skillset and services for customers, which is enabling it to attract “more prestigious airlines each year.”
Ryanair resumed its services at the end of June following pandemic-related groundings and announced in early August that it had restored more than 60% of normal flight schedules. However, in mid-August the airline said it planned to cut flight capacity by 20% in September and October, citing waning forward bookings due to COVID-19 uncertainty case rates in some EU countries. The airline currently operates more than 300 737-800s.
