MRO News Briefs, Sept. 27-Oct. 3, 2020

STS Aviation Services Adds New Hires, Internship Programs in Birmingham
STS Aviation Services has hired 60 aircraft maintenance professionals in Birmingham to support conversion work on the United Kingdom’s fleet of Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning MK1 aircraft. It plans to hire approximately 50 more people over the next few months to support the required conversion work and says it is in the early stages of creating internship opportunities and apprenticeship programs as it looks to partner with educational institutions in and around the West Midlands.

Liebherr-Aerospace Lands Landing Gear Contract in Argentina
Austral Lineas Aereas has selected Liebherr-Aerospace to overhaul the landing gears of its Embraer E-Jet E190 fleet. The overhaul activities, which started in July, are being performed at Liebherr’s customer service facility in Saline, Michigan. Liebherr says this is its first major contract in Argentina.

HAECO Xiamen Readies for First AEI Freighter Conversion
Aeronautical Engineers, Inc. (AEI) has entered an agreement to provide Aviation Holdings III Investments with its fourth Boeing 737-800SF freighter conversion. The aircraft is scheduled to commence modification in January 2021 at HAECO Xiamen, which became an authorized AEI Conversion Center in August.

Sabrewing Plans Establishment of VTOL MRO Facilities
As part of a new deal between aircraft manufacturer Sabrewing and Arabian Development & Marketing Co., the two companies will work together to establish MRO facilities for the Rhaegal-B unmanned, heavy-lift, vertical-take-off and landing (VTOL) cargo aircraft throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Africa. The facilities will service the Rhaegal-B fleet and provide technology jobs to the region.

China Eastern Airlines Picks Thales for ADS-B Out Retrofit
China Eastern Airlines has chosen Thales/ACSS to retrofit its 203 Boeing 737 aircraft with NXT-800 DO-260B compliant transponders to meet the CAAC’s ADS-B Out mandate. It will be the first carrier in mainland China to select the transponders offered as a certified inter-mix retrofit solution through the Boeing Service Bulletin, which it says will result in substantial cost savings.

HAECO Completes First B787 Landing Gear Overhaul
HAECO Landing Gear Services has completed what it says is the world’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner landing gear overhaul. It has been awarded approvals for the repair by FAA, EASA and the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau. HAECO Landing Gear Services says it is the first MRO to be approved with full overhaul capabilities for Boeing’s 747-8 landing gears.

Eirtech Aviation Furthers CAMO Approvals
Eirtech Aviation Services has received its approval certificate for EASA Part CAMO from the Irish Aviation Authority. Earlier this year, it received CAMO approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Cayman Islands and the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority.

King Aerospace Expanding Oklahoma Facility, Capabilities
King Aerospace plans to add an additional 90,000 ft.2 hangar to its facility at Ardmore Industrial Park in Oklahoma. It says the larger space will enable it to support Boeing 737/747/767/777 aircraft and to diversify its product line to include green completions as well as VVIP interior refurbishment, maintenance, avionics and paint.

OEMServices Named AOG Services Provider for Safran Power Units
Safran Power Units has named OEMServices an aircraft-on-the-ground service provider under a new five-year logistics support contract. Under the contract, OEMServices will dispatch the spare auxiliary power unit SPU300 and its sub-assembly spare parts for the Bombardier Global 7500 on behalf of Safran Power Units.

StandardAero Added to Elliott Technologies Dealer Network
Aircraft lighting manufacturer Elliott Technologies has added StandardAero to its U.S. dealer network. The agreement allows customers to have Elliott’s Prizm Lighting installed at any StandardAero facility.