Bombardier has appointed South African Express Airways as its first commercial aircraft authorised service facility in Africa, after giving it authorisation to maintain Bombardier regional jets and turboprops.
SA Express has been appointed an Authorized Service Facility (ASF) for CRJ100, CRJ200 and CRJ700 regional jets, as well as Q400 turboprops and other Dash 8/Q-Series turboprops, Bombardier announced yesterday.
The addition to Bombardier’s Authorized Service Facility network is the first in Africa and part of Bombardier’s ongoing expansion plan for international support, the company said. Bombardier has 59 ASF and Line Maintenance Facilities (LMF) spanning 25 countries worldwide.
Under the ASF agreement, Johannesburg-based SA Express received Bombardier’s endorsement to offer maintenance work to operators of CRJ100, CRJ200 and CRJ700 regional jets and Dash 8-100/200/300, Q100, Q200, Q300 and Q400 turboprop aircraft.
“Our entire Customer Services team is firmly committed to expanding our presence in Africa at an accelerated pace to support operators of Bombardier commercial and business aircraft,” said Éric Martel, President, Customer Services & Specialized and Amphibious Aircraft, Bombardier Aerospace. “Our global support network is spreading its wings through our sustained investment and focus. We are pleased to further bolster our presence in collaboration with a long-standing local Bombardier operator.”
“We are extremely proud of this achievement and I am sincerely grateful for all of the efforts and commitment of the stakeholders involved that have culminated in this accolade,” said Ramon Vahed, General Manager, Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering and Fleet Development, SA Express.
“Achieving the ASF status will prove to be a significant milestone for the airline and our shareholders and will provide operators in the region with improved access to a sustainable, cost-effective and high-quality local maintenance support service.”
South African Express operates a fleet of 15 CRJ200 and CRJ700 regional jets and nine Q400 turboprops. The airline employs a full-time staff of approximately 300 maintenance technicians performing both light and heavy maintenance work within a 10,000 square-metre (107,640 square-foot) maintenance hangar and support infrastructure facilities across their base of operations.
Bombardier is exploring further opportunities in Africa and according to Raphael Haddad, Vice-president, Sales, Middle East and Africa, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, “This region is poised for growth and over the next 20 years, it is predicted that Africa will be one of the leaders in annual economic growth, second only to China. We are excited by the potential opportunities for expanding commercial aviation in Africa and our role in that development.
“Our market forecast for the 2012-2031 timeframe predicts that African airlines will take delivery of 550 aircraft in the 20- to 149-seat segment industry wide. The majority of that demand is expected to be in the 100- to 149-seat market segment…while the remainder is expected to be mainly in the 60- to 99-seat market segment.”
Bombardier commercial aircraft are already significantly present on the African continent with more than 160 Dash 8/Q-Series and CRJ aircraft in service with, or ordered by, 40 operators and leasing companies in over 20 countries.
Recent orders from African carriers include five Q400 NextGen aircraft from Ethiopian Airlines to increase its fleet to 13 of the type and RwandAir’s purchase agreement for two CRJ900 NextGen regional jets plus two options, the first of which recently entered revenue service. Ethiopian Airlines’ Q400 NextGen aircraft ? three of which will be operated by its affiliate, ASKY Airlines of Togo ? were the first to be outfitted with Bombardier’s newly introduced dual-class interior for the turboprop.
