ETIHAD Airways could soon be carrying out aircraft line maintenance work on behalf of other major European airlines, following a successful recent audit of its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities.
The airline has been awarded EASA Part 145 certification by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), following a comprehensive audit by the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA).
The approval effectively means that Etihad Airways’ technical division is now fully accredited to provide line maintenance services on Airbus A319, A320,
A330, A340 and Boeing B777 aircraft types for all European carriers.
Werner Rothenbaecher, Etihad Airways’ executive vice president technical, said: “This is an important step forward in the airline’s MRO capabilities and represents the culmination of a lot of hard work by the technical and quality assurance teams.
“Receiving this important certificate effectively validates our technical capabilities and means we can expand our MRO services to handle other major European carriers, both at our Abu Dhabi hub and also at our satellite bases overseas.”
To obtain the certification, Etihad had to submit a ‘maintenance organisation exposition (MOE), supported by a fully documented set of processes and procedures.
EASA is an agency of the European Union (EU) with responsibility for specific regulatory and executive tasks in the field of civilian aviation safety.
And there has been more good news for the UAE flag carrier with the finding that an initiative originally designed to ensure a clean look for its fleet has proven to have significant environmental benefits.
The trials of Permagard, a polymer coating applied to the exterior of Etihad’s aircraft, have demonstrated significant savings in washing water and cleaning fluids, as well as a potential improvement in fuel efficiency from reduced drag on the aircraft. As a result Etihad has now committed to having its entire fleet treated with this clear coating.
Etihad estimates water savings of 10 million litres – or 75 per cent – in 2010 from reduced cleaning of its aircraft, as well as a 96 per cent reduction in cleaning fluid – from 50,000 litres to just 2,000. Anticipated fuel efficiency improvements as a result of reduced drag during flight are currently being quantified.