Editorial comment

摘要

As expected, this year's Dubai Air Show did not produce vast amounts of orders for new aircraft. However, it did provide evidence that there is a shift in the region's MRO market and that some new players have emerged, both at a company and national level. In Abu Dhabi, it is now clear that the Etihad Airways Engineering takeover of Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technology (ADAT) last year was not just to look after the parent airline's growing fleet, but that it is also part of a plan to increase the already significant amount of third party work. This includes the partner airlines as well. ADAT was bought from Mubadala, the Abu Dhabi-based investment and development company. It has signed an MoU with the airline to explore potential areas of cooperation, including new contracts with a potential value of $1 billion over a 10-year period. One of these is the appointment of Mubadala-owned SR Technics as a preferred supplier to Etihad. This has already resulted a five-year extension to an engine contract for partner airline, airberlin. Meanwhile, Mubadala, in its own right, is boosting the capability of its Turbine Services & Solutions subsidiary through an agreement with GE Aviation. It is planning to establish a GEnx engine MRO facility at the Nibras Al Ain Aerospace Park, including direct investment by GE. In addition, Mubadala and Etihad Airways are already in discussions with possible partners about the establishment of a narrowbody MRO facility in Eastern Europe.