Aircraft maintenance JV starts operations

A joint venture between Vietnamese and Singaporean partners has begun operations at Tan Son Nhat Airport, providing line maintenance services to airlines active at this airport, Southern Airports Corporation (SAC) said.

The state-owned corporation told the Daily on Tuesday that the Southern Airports Aircraft Maintenance Services Co. Ltd (SAAM) would assist airlines with line maintenance certifications in the initial time and other services later at the largest airport in Vietnam.

The joint venture between the corporation’s subsidiary Saigon Ground Services (SAGS) and Singapore’s SIA Engineering Co. Ltd (SIAEC) will expand its operations to other airports and scale up service offerings including maintenance checks, repair and overhaul services at a later stage depending on viability.

The Singapore partner said on its website that SAAM serviced a strong customer base including Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, United Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Cardig Air and Neptune Airlines.

“Benefiting from SAC’s extensive experience in Vietnam and SIAEC’s line maintenance expertise covering more than 20 airports in seven countries, SAAM has taken off well with nine airline customers,” SIAEC’s CEO William Tan said.

“The joint venture will raise the bar for line maintenance services in Vietnam, and is poised to expand its customer base and service offerings at Tan Son Nhat Airport.”

Tan said in a statement that the first line maintenance joint venture in Vietnam was a pioneering initiative and testimony to the vision and foresight of SAC to grow the aviation sector in the country.

SAGS director Nguyen Dinh Hung said that the joint venture would further improve the level of airline support provided at Tan Son Nhat and add confidence to the more than 40 international and domestic airlines at the airport.

Every day, Tan Son Nhat handles more than 340 flights operated by some 40 foreign airlines and four domestic carriers. The airport makes up more than half of the country’s total domestic and international flights.

SIAEC said SAGS was now the dominant ground-handling service provider at Tan Son Nhat International Airport, with a market share of more than 50 percent. The joint venture in Vietnam extends the company’s global network of line maintenance stations covering over 20 airports in Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong, the United States, the Philippines, Indonesia and now Vietnam.

SAAM is the fruit of an agreement that SAGS and SIAEC clinched in HCM City in 2009. The Singaporean side owns a 49 percent stake and the rest belongs to the Vietnamese partner.

The Singapore company provides aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul services for more than 80 international carriers and aerospace equipment manufacturers. Its line maintenance services users at Singapore’s Changi Airport include more than 50 international carriers.

In addition to Tan Son Nhat, the local corporation also operates Buon Ma Thuot, Lien Khuong, Phu Quoc, Rach Gia, Ca Mau, Con Dao and Can Tho airports. – Saigon Times

Tags: Southern Airports Aircraft Maintenance Services