Malaysia’s MAE, SpiceJet seal 3-year MRO deal

MAS Aerospace Engineering (MAE), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines and SpiceJet, India’s low cost carrier have reached a three-year maintenance support agreement for SpiceJet’s fleet of Boeing 737 New Generation (NG) series aircraft.

SpiceJet’s current fleet of 19 aircraft and future aircraft will be sent to MAE for “C” and heavy checks from 2010 until 2013. SpiceJet will be adding 12 B737 NG aircraft over the next two years to build a fleet of 31 aircraft.

“SpiceJet’s aircraft will first be serviced in Subang. Once our MRO JV company, MAS-GMR Aerospace Engineering in Hyderabad, India commences operation by the first quarter of 2011, the aircraft will be serviced on the subcontinent, allowing SpiceJet to enjoy even more cost savings and reduced downtime for each aircraft,” MAE’s managing director, En Mohd Roslan Ismail Roslan said.

With this, SpiceJet becomes one of the first launch customer airlines of MASGMR Aerospace Engineering Company Ltd; a 50:50 joint venture company between MAE and GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. to provide Airframe MRO services in Hyderabad. The facility will have the capacity to service between 60 and 80 aircraft annually.