FL Technics, a leading aircraft maintenance solutions company, has commenced the establishment of new MRO (maintenance, repair and operations) infrastructure at Punta Cana Airport (PUJ) in the Dominican Republic, the second-busiest airport in the Caribbean.
Once the first stage of the development is finished, facilities will include five bays for base maintenance operations including a complex of full-fledged supporting shops.
Including the hangar and bays facility of 20,000 sq. m, the total area of the new infrastructure will be 52,000 sq. m.
It is estimated the construction process will take up to two years and marks FL Technics’ commitment to developing the existing global independent MRO network.
FL Technics already operates maintenance hangars at Vilnius Airport (VNO) and Kaunas Airport (KUN) in Lithuania, Stansted Airport (STN) and Prestwick Airport (PIK) in the United Kingdom, and Soekarno-Hatta Airport (CGK) in Jakarta, Indonesia.
With the new facility in the Dominican Republic included, FL Technics owned MRO hangar space will be totaling 86,000 sq. m.
With a physical MRO hub in the region FL Technics is aiming to support the growing fleet of narrow-body aircraft operated in the Americas, as the company will leverage its global expertise and Part-145 capabilities certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
The company plans to provide both base and line maintenance services in the new hub.
“This expansion is our first physical base maintenance foothold in the region, following the existing FL Technics operations in the Americas, including line maintenance network in Canada. It is a decisive investment as we aim to provide comprehensive MRO solutions to create long-term partnerships and a base for other future developments in the continent,” Zilvinas Lapinskas, CEO of FL Technics, commented on the development.
With further investments across the Americas in mind, the Punta Cana project itself is also set for future development.
The infrastructure includes plans for an additional seven bays in the second phase totaling a hub of 12 bays, as a result – providing crucial addition to the capacity of base maintenance slots in the growing region.
“We are pleased to announce our strategic alliance with FL Technics to offer world-class MRO services at Punta Cana International Airport and Punta Cana Free Trade Zone. With this strategic alliance, airport customers will have access to a wide range of aircraft maintenance and repair services, including scheduled inspections, component repairs, cabin modifications, and painting, among others,” Giovanni Rainieri, airside operations director at Punta Cana Airport (PUJ), said.
Saulius Bajarunas, COO of FL Technics, further commented on the project, as he emphasized the enormous potential the teams bring to the Americas: “Strategic and operational business development requires meticulous planning and evaluation, especially when it comes to complex projects in new markets. I trust this new infrastructure will become the foundation for future expansion of the new MRO hub, as the FL Technics team will apply best practices already proven successful in other continents.”
Such strategic developments are backed by Avia Solutions Group, parent company of FL Technics, which is one of the world’s largest ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance) providers with more than 180 aircraft in its fleet, operating in all continents in the world.
Outside the MRO and ACMI solutions, the group also provides various aviation services such as pilot and crew training, ground handling and other interconnected services.
However, ACMI and MRO synergy is one of the key aspects driving growth and prospects in the Americas, as both businesses support each other by offering a range of flexible services for the partners inside and outside the region, with tailored solutions to meet the demands impacted and defined by diverse seasonality of cargo and commercial flight.