Months after shutting its loss-making Dublin subsidiary with the loss of more than 1,000 jobs, SR Technics is to open a new narrowbody airframe facility in Malta, primarily to maintain EasyJet's fleet of Airbus A319s under an extended 11-year contract with the UK low-cost carrier.
The new operation, which will receive its first aircraft in the second half of next year and move into a new four-bay hangar in 2012, will employ 350 people by 2014. Bernt Kessler, chief executive of the Swiss company, says that with labour making up 90% of airframe maintenance costs, the market is moving increasingly to lower-cost countries. "It is very difficult in high-cost countries such as Ireland to compete in the airframe market in the long term," he says.
SR Technics will keep its main base in Zurich, which specialises in engines and components and handles airframes for customers such as Swiss. "We will give customers the choice," says Kessler.
SR Technics at the Dubai air show signed a 10-year component servicing contract with Etihad for its 40-strong Airbus fleet. The flag carrier is owned, like SR Technics' majority shareholder Mubadala, by the Abu Dhabi government. The deal will mean SR Technics working with Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies, also owned by Mubadala. Kessler says: "We are evaluating several opportunities to expand our relationship with ADAT, but I cannot be more specific."
Source: Flight International
