On the occasion of the Dubai Airshow 2015, Lufthansa Technik AG and Saudia Aerospace Engineering Industries (SAEI), the Aircraft Maintenance arm of Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia), have signed an agreement to enter into a strategic partnership.
Lufthansa Technik will support SAEI with Aircraft Component Maintenance for Saudia's A320 and A330 fleet and will further assist SAEI to develop the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) capabilities for Airbus and Boeing Aircraft at SAEIs facilities in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In turn Lufthansa Technik will use SAEI as a subcontractor for those parts SAEI already holds existing capabilities. The partners also intend to jointly market their mutual capacities to third party customers in the region with commercial or military aircraft.
Nader Khalawi, Chief Executive Officer of SAEI, said: “Our strategic partnership with Lufthansa Technik supports our growth plans especially that SAEI has announced the launch of the largest MRO facility in the middle east; we are pleased to extend our cooperation with Lufthansa Technik, a trustful, dependable and innovative partner, on components support for our current and future Airbus and Boeing fleet.”
Lufthansa Technik´s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Johannes Bussmann, explained: “The Middle East region is extremely important for us. We are very delighted and honored to be able to further expand our trustful and reliable cooperation with SAEI. SAEI's objectives to become a sustainable MRO partner for Middle Eastern operators will be strongly supported by Lufthansa Technik in the future.”
SAEI is the leading aviation technical solutions provider in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Gulf and Middle East regions backed by over 55 years of experience and more than 5,200 highly qualified and trained professional workforce, 92% of which are Saudi nationals.
SAEI holds GACA, FAA, EASA and several other regional and international authorities' approvals.
SAEI offers an extensive array of integrated Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services to Civil and Military Aircraft owners and operators, both locally and abroad. SAEI services include Aircraft, Engine & Component Maintenance as well as Engineering, Manufacturing, GSE Maintenance, Supply Chain & Logistics and Technical Training.
The Lufthansa Technik Group, with more than 30 subsidiaries and about 26,000 employees worldwide, is one of the leading providers of services for the aviation industry. Lufthansa Technik is licensed internationally as a repair, production and development enterprise. The Group's portfolio encompasses the entire spectrum of services in the areas of maintenance, repair, overhaul, modification and conversion, engines and components.