Cairo is poised to become the regional centre for aircraft engine overhauls, reports Amirah Ibrahim Fifteen months after the national carrier opened its $100 million engine overhaul facility in Cairo the project is being expanded as two strategic partners, Rolls Royce and Lufthansa Technik, come on board. On Monday EgyptAir celebrated the inauguration of a new company, Egypt Aero Management Service, based at Cairo International Airport. EgyptAir Holding Company Chairman Captain Tawfiq Assi, Rolls Royce Vice-President Metin Oktay and Lufthansa Technik Vice- President Burkhard Andrich signed the joint venture contract in the presence of Aviation Minister Ahmed Shafiq, Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif, the British and German ambassadors to Egypt and 14 cabinet members. "The project brings the kind of strong infrastructure such an international industry needs," commented Nazif. "We believe the Egyptian economy will benefit across the field of tourism and other investment activities." Nazif praised the improvements achieved within the national carrier's branches. "To enter into such a close partnership with two key players in the aviation industry means EgyptAir's employees are working at the highest international standards. We look forward to seeing how our facilities and industry will progress with the help of these two giant players." The new joint venture covers 10 years, says Assi. "Shares will be held equally by EgyptAir and Rolls Royce. The project will employ 170 technicians and engineers and target the engine overhaul market in the Middle East to begin with. Lufthansa Technik will share its technical experience in the field of engine maintenance." The 8,000 square metre engine workshop was opened on 18 March 2008. The British company Rolls Royce entered into its first joint venture with EgyptAir in 2004, providing technical help and advice to EgyptAir on developing the state-of-the- art facility. "The carrier's overhauling capabilities have been expanded through its joint venture with Rolls- Royce for four consecutive years," says Abdel-Aziz Fadel, chairman of EgyptAir Engineering and Maintenance Company. "As a result the staff developed the skills necessary to overhaul A320 and A321 engines, and the CFM56-5C/CFM56- 3C engines installed on Boeing 737- 500 and the Airbus 340." Work on overhauling engines began last year after the company obtained European certificates allowing its staff and facility to carry out the work. "We started with 20 overhauls already in hand which have kept us busy over the past year," explained Fadel. "Our capacity exceeds 40 overhauls, and we hope to meet that target in the coming phase. The complex can also reassemble the Trent 7772B engines installed on the Airbus A330-200. In addition, we have developed engine test bed capabilities to carry out testing of engines types Trent 772B and CFM56-5C, which adds to a current capability base that includes testing PW4158, V2500, CFM56-3C, and APU engine types installed on Airbus A300-600." "Currently our workshops provide technical services to 77 airlines operating to Cairo International, Saudi Arabia's Jeddah and Dammam airports and Dubai airports, where our teams are certified by the European Aviation Safety Authority."
