Jet builder Airbus entered into a long-term agreement with Hong Kong-based HAECO Group to provide aircraft maintenance and engineering training in China and Southeast Asia. HAECO, which specializes in aircraft engineering and maintenance, will deploy ‘Training by Airbus’ standards, and “dynamic tools and teaching techniques to provide OEM-backed maintenance training capabilities to its own personnel and to third-party technicians in Southeast Asia.
The terms of the agreement were not announced.
HAECO — the Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Co. Ltd. — is an independent aircraft MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) service provider, and one of the largest in terms of capacity. It has over 17,000 employees in Hong Kong, China, Singapore and the U.S.
Didier Lux, executive vice president of Airbus Customer Services said: “We are pleased to be partnering with HAECO Group in this new initiative and are confident that the experience and professionalism of its staff will foster the successful deployment of Training by Airbus in Asia.”
The burgeoning commercial airline market in China and elsewhere in Asia, as well as the increasing importance of aftermarket services to OEMs, has increased the significance of MRO services to aircraft builders, their tier suppliers, and carriers.
The partnership will adopt and promote maintenance skills and techniques established by the Airbus Competence Training (ACT) program, using virtual instruction and digital methods to bring Airbus systems and technologies into HAECO’s facilities.
For HAECO, the Airbus training service also will include: integration of HAECO’s instructors within the 147-part Airbus Maintenance Training Organization Exposition (MTOE); certification to Airbus standards and specialized training capabilities for Airbus aircraft; and access to Airbus courseware, instruction media, virtual tools, and real aircraft practice in HAECO’s facilities.
“As one of the world’s leading MRO service providers, with 65 years’ experience in the industry, HAECO Group has a proud history of providing first-class technical training to numerous generations of aircraft engineering professionals,” commented Augustus Tang, HAECO Group CEO. “We are delighted to embark on this strategic training collaboration with Airbus, further strengthening and extending our training services to benefit airlines worldwide.
