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THAI and Airbus sign U-Tapao MRO partnership deal
December 21st 2017
Thai Airways International (THAI) and Airbus this week signed a cooperation agreement “to assess” MRO business opportunities at Thailand’s U-Tapao International Airport, south of Bangkok. Read More »
This builds on a Memorandum of Understanding signed in March by Thailand’s deputy Prime Minister, Somkid Jatusripitak, Airbus Commercial Aircraft president, Fabrice Brégier, and THAI acting president, Usanee Sangsingkeo.
The proposed MRO hub in U-Tapao will offer line and heavy maintenance services as well as aircraft painting from 2019. The facility plans to utilize digital technology analysis of aircraft maintenance data. In addition it will offer UAV inspection of airframes, a repair centre for composite structures and a maintenance training centre for Thai and regional technical staff.
“This cooperation agreement is a key milestone on the way to the establishment of a state of the art MRO campus in U-Tapao. Beyond the partnership between our two great companies, today’s announcement also represents a strategic development for Thailand’s exciting plan to strengthen its presence in the aerospace industry,” said Jean-Francois Laval, Airbus executive vice president for customer affairs, Asia.
“During the past months, teams at THAI and Airbus have studied the business case for the MRO hub at U-Tapao and are convinced that the geographic location, coupled with the skills in the country and the market potential in the region will bring great benefits for many years to come. It is predicted that the fleets operated by carriers in Asia and the Pacific will more than double in size over the next 20 years, from around 6,100 to almost 17,000 aircraft. Airbus estimates the value of the maintenance and overhaul sector in this region alone will stand at around US$664 billion over the next decade,” Laval said at the signing ceremony.
“THAI has been studying the development of a new MRO business with several potential partners and is pleased to reach this initial agreement with Airbus,” interim THAI president, Sangsingkeo said.
The Thai government has prioritised aerospace and the MRO sector as key industries in its ‘Thailand 4.0’ economic reform and innovation drive. The U-Tapao MRO base is a cornerstone project in Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor development plan. In recent years, Airbus has established MRO joint ventures with China Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Etihad Airways.
