easyJet To Halve Heavy Check Downtime

Jan 15, 2009
By Lee Ann Tegtmeier/AviationWeek.com



easyJet will start putting its Airbus A319 fleet through a new Intermediate Layover (IL) check developed by SR Technics and Airbus that is designed to cut downtime of the maintenance visit by half.

easyJet contracted SR Technics to perform 157 of these new checks scheduled to take 14 days to complete, versus the 30 days usually required to conduct the heavy maintenance visits that occur every six years.

The airline plans to induct its first aircraft in mid-March and cycle all of its A319s through by summer 2015.

SR Technics is establishing dual lines in Zurich to perform these new checks, and it is working on a new logistics concept to ensure materials flow efficiently through the production line.

"We are convinced that our new IL check concept will set new industry benchmarks," said Helmut Himmelreich, SR Technics' senior executive VP aircraft services, in a press release.

In August 2005, SR Technics announced a 10-year, $1 billion agreement for full technical support for easyJet's fleet of 120 A319s. That contract covers line, light and base maintenance, as well as component repair, logistics management and engineering services.

An SR Technics spokeswoman said the new IL contract increases the number of aircraft from 120 to 157, takes into account the much short turnaround times for the nose-to-tail checks, and puts all of the work at SR Technics' Zurich base.

The two companies started their maintenance partnership in 1998, when easyJet awarded a Boeing 737 full support contract to FLS Aerospace, which later was acquired by SR Technics. easyJet awarded its first Airbus support contract to SR Technics in 2004.

Photo credit: easyJet