Paris, Amstelveen, 26 March 2018 - AFI KLM E&M and Vietnam Airlines have signed a long term flight hour support contract covering the GEnx engines equipping the Vietnamese flag carrier's fleet of Boeing 787s, which will grow to 19 Aircraft by 2021. The signing ceremony was witnessed by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong and President of the National Assembly of France Francois de Rugy.
Under this contract, AFM KLM E&M will handle maintenance of Vietnam Airlines' 787 GEnx engines for 12 years. AFI KLM E&M also provides spare engine access for Vietnam Airlines to guarantee seamless continuity of its operations.
Extensive experience on the GEnx product
As an MRO backed by an airline that itself operates the GEnx, AFI KLM E&M has built up a body of operational and technical know-how that is unrivaled in the market place. AFI KLM E&M deploys its MRO capabilities across the entire spectrum of GEnx overhaul and maintenance operations, from overhaul and test services to on-wing/on-site support, plus part and engine module repairs. For the Group's many customers, including Vietnam Airlines, this all-round GEnx expertise is a guarantee of performance at both operational and economical levels.
Mr. Duong Tri Thanh, President and CEO of Vietnam Airlines, said: "This agreement with AFI KLM E&M is of significant importance to Vietnam Airlines, which further enhances our time-honoured partnership in a wide range of areas. From our previous successful collaboration on component support for Vietnam Airlines' 787-9s and during the first quick-turn shop visit operations carried out on the GEnx, we have full confidence in AFI KLM E&M's abilities to guarantee the smooth operations of our Boeing 787-9 aircraft and fleet in general. Vietnam Airlines' Boeing 787-9 aircraft will better serve long haul domestic and international flights, strengthening our commitment to bring consistent 4-star quality service and the best customer experience."
A long-standing relationship
Another important factor in the signing was the strength of the working and partner relationship between the two companies. In 2018, Vietnam Airlines and AFI KLM E&M celebrate a quarter-century of working together, and the Vietnamese airline knows from experience the quality of the work delivered by the MRO, which also supported the flag carrier in maintaining its GE90s, another wide body engine with a design similar to the GEnx's. In 2015, the two partners agreed that AFI KLM E&M would provide component support for Vietnam Airlines' fleet of 787s.
Anne Brachet, Executive Vice President AIR FRANCE KLM Engineering & Maintenance, said: "Vietnam Airlines is a long-standing customer of AFI KLM E&M in South East Asia and one that we have supported in the airline maintenance sphere for many years. We are honored that the carrier has placed its trust in us once more, and fortunate to be involved in their fleet renewal program by providing component - and now engine - support for its fleet of 787s."
The cooperation reaffirms the long-standing relationship between Vietnam Airlines and Air France. Since 1994, Air France and Vietnam Airlines have been working together on the operational side, with partnerships in the field of aircraft maintenance, crew training and the transfer of technology of 10 new A320s which were among the most modern type at that time. In October 2017, the two companies signed a comprehensive strategic partnership allowing the two airlines to optimize operational efficiency, service quality and expertise in technical maintenance of aircraft equipment.