Indonesian maintenance provider GMF AeroAsia is in the "final stages of securing a business partner" for setting up a UAE facility catering to the Middle East and neighbouring regions.
Speaking to FlightGlobal at the Dubai air show, GMF's director of base operations Rahmat Hanafi said that its Middle Eastern business aimed to capture "the spillover" when capacity was lacking at the in-house maintenance departments of airlines in the region.
Hanafi says the partner, which he expects to be announced by the first half of 2018, may provide both financial and technological support.
He adds that the facility will be established in stages, with an initial hangar set-up that can accommodate three narrowbodies simultaneously.
At the same time, GMF will also work towards getting European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Part 145 approval.
Hanafi says the facility "will provide total MRO solutions", ranging from component and engine support to line and base maintenance.
"The Middle East is an open market that has a similar culture to that of Indonesia. The aircraft fleet [in the region] is also growing," says Hanafi.
GMF's line-maintenance customers in the Middle East include four Iranian carriers: Atrak Air, ATA Air, Iran Air and Meraj Airlines.
All four carriers operate either the Airbus A320 or Boeing 737.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
