With equivalent services in Engine support now well-established, AFI KLM E&M is taking its Aerostructures expertise directly to customers with the inauguration of a new, dicated On-Wing/On-Site capability.

When it comes to aviation maintenance, every operator knows that time is money – and so are transport and logistics! With its On-Wing/On-Site solutions, AFI KLM E&M has been bringing its expertise directly to its customers all around the world, whenever or wherever they are needed, for both scheduled operations and urgent engine maintenance, for over a decade now. This is a high-added value service that enables airlines to avoid the headaches of engine transport, with optimized costs and TATs.

Repair teams on the wing for engines and aerostructures

Capitalizing on its experience in On-wing/On-site engine support, AFI KLM E&M has now adapted and extended this service to cover aerostructures components.

“After adapting the process, identifying the resources needed in terms of teams and materials, putting together our ad hoc tool and equipment kits and creating a dedicated procedure based on our existing On-Wing Engine services, we were recently able to launch this new capability,” explains Aerostructures Client Support Engineer Alexis Cavaignac.

“While it is not possible to handle all issues in this way, notably the most heavy-duty procedures that require the use of autoclaves and clean rooms, the reach of our mobile industrial resources has enabled us to put together and offer a catalog of call-out services that is both extensive and in permanent evolution, ranging from dismantling/reassembly and processing of metallic components through to the repair of composite parts. Whatever the project, it’s about helping customers to reduce their logistical overheads and avoid the cost of renting components, shortening TAT times for repairs, etc., all while timing our operations to coincide with already scheduled downtime for C-checks.”

A tried and tested procedure after a successful first mission

It didn’t take long for this new capability to be put into practice, when Thai Airways, an AFI KLM E&M customer for nacelle support, approached the Group to address a defective air intake duct on a 787. Of the three possible repair options – sub-contracting to a local workshop with no guarantee on costs, TATs or quality of service, transporting to the AFI KLM E&M Helios workshop in Paris, or deploying a team as close as possible to the airline operations – the latter was the obvious choice in terms of added value. 

“We immediately dispatched a team of 5 technicians in Thailand, in a secured area close to the customer base, with remote support from the experts at Helios and regular communications in order to ensure optimum oversight of any potential hazards.”

At the outcome, this tight-knit group of experts was able to successfully complete the repairs on time using an innovative and adapted procedure. As a result, the customer was spared significant logistical costs ($240,000 to transport the air intake duct from Paris to Bangkok and back), while also benefiting from enhanced oversight and visibility of the project’s costs and TATs.

Thaï Airways International PCL

“Being able to support an airline’s operations as closely as possible is an obvious AFI KLM E&M’s added value. The Group has managed to define a responsive, high-performance and adapted response to our needs, providing an expert and high-quality service right in our back yard. In addition to the immediate benefits generated in terms of cost savings and TATs (with the project wrapping up faster than we expected), the teams from AFI KLM E&M demonstrated an open and responsive approach at every stage of the operation, from planning through to completion, with transparency at every level.”