Pemco World Air Services has taken a step towards offering maintenance of the Embraer E-170/190 family aircraft after its purchase of tooling and inventory of Canadian maintenance provider ExelTech.
ExelTech battled financial struggles for most of 2009, and in February began a formal reorganisation and discontinued operations afterwards.
With hangars in Montreal and Quebec, ExelTech offered maintenance to operators of E-Jets, ERJ-135s/145s, Bombardier CRJs and Q-series aircraft, ATR aircraft and Saabs.
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The key acquisition allows Pemco to expand its regional offering beyond the Bombardier CRJ700s, and target customers it has "not been equipped to serve in the past", says Pemco CEO Wake Smith.
Some of those customers include one of the largest E-Jet operators Republic Airways Holdings, Piedmont Airlines and Air Wisconsin.
In 2009 JetBlue Airways expressed an interest in sending some of its E-190s to ExelTech for heavy maintenance. Pemco already has a relationship with JetBlue to perform heavy maintenance and seat overhaul on a portion of the carrier's Airbus A320s.
Pemco explains in a statement it is considering re-starting regional maintenance operations in Canada, but it also finalising a US site selection,
"We expect to be serving regional aircraft operators in our new US facility by early fall," says Pemco chief operating officer Pat Stewart.
Pemco also plans to complete an expansion at its facility at Tampa International airport later this year to accommodate 10-12 narrowbody or up to 6 widebody lines.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
