Aerostructures Middle-East Services (AMES) delivers its first GE90 Fan Stator Module

Aerostructures Middle-East Services (AMES) has been selected as a local partner for Preventive Maintenance Inspections (PMI) & associated repairs on GE90-110/-115 Fan Stator Modules (FSMs).The first of these FSMs was delivered mid-October 2019, while three others are already being processed.

These operations fall within the PMI framework defined by the OEM in 2016 for GE90-100/115 jet engines fan case having completed 50,000 flight hours. They include an inspection of the FSM’s metallic components, scans for potential corrosion, and a phased array ultrasonic inspection of its composite parts. The largest Boeing 777-300 fleet being in the Middle East, the AMES facilities in Dubai are adequately dimensioned to process FSMs of the Very Big Engine (VBE), which measures up to 4 metres in diameter by 2 metres in length. For this service, AFI KLM E&M was able to point to AMES, whose expertise in the repair of metallic and composite materials is proven by 10 years of experience.

This contract marks the next step in the development of AMES, which will be celebrating ten years in 2020. From the outset, AMES has stood out from the competition thanks to its dual MRO/OEM expertise, inherited from its two parent companies AFI KLM E&M and Safran Nacelles.

According to Thierry Baud, co-General Manager of AMES, “This PMI opens up new possibilities for repair and maintenance in the region. We’re now ready to position ourselves for other FSMs but also for acoustic liner composites for all engine types.” Jean-François Verkindre, the co-General Manager of AMES, added: “We’re delighted to be able to extend our capabilities to a wider number of modules, and to offer our expertise to more fleet operators with a wider range of needs.”

The joint venture is the only local shop capable of carrying out the full range of FSM GE90-110/115 overhaul tasks at a single facility. As a reminder, AMES is the only MRO in the region equipped with an autoclave, enabling it to carry out bonded repairs for large-scale parts such as A320 radomes.