Aerostructures Middle East Services (AMES) today inaugurated the expansion of its Dubai facility in the United Arab Emirates, which is dedicated to maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) work for aircraft nacelles, aerostructures and large engine components.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, February 24, 2020 - The building extension provides additional capacity for AMES' newest activity: preventive maintenance inspections (PMIs) and associated repairs on fan stator modules for General Electric GE90 engines that equip Boeing 777 jetliners.

With this extension, the AMES operation in Dubai's Jebel Ali Free Zone is doubling its workshop surface and workforce, enabling the company to accommodate inspections and repairs performed on the four-meter-diameter GE90 fan stator modules.

In particular, the expanded AMES facility is outfitted with modern resources - including ultrasonic inspection systems for the fan stator modules' composite panels and metallic components. The preventive maintenance inspections for GE90-100/115 fan cases are mandated by GE as the engine original equipment manufacturer, and are to be performed once they have accumulated 50,000 flight hours.

Maintenance, repair and overhaul activity is offered by AMES for countries in the Middle East, Persian Gulf and Indian peninsula, which is a region representing one of the largest concentrations of Boeing 777.

AMES is a joint venture of Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance and Safran Nacelles. In 2020, the joint venture is celebrating its10 years of operations.

According to Thierry Baud, AMES' co-General Manager: "AMES is extremely well-positioned for new business opportunities: unique in having one of its owners, Safran Nacelles, as a leading original equipment manufacturer; and the other, AFI KLM E&M, as an industry reference for airline maintenance, repair and overhaul."

AMES co-General Manager Jean-François Verkindre added: "We look forward to the next 10 years - and beyond - with confidence, benefitting from AMES' proximity to airline operators in our region, as well as our company's nacelle and aerostructure capabilities for such growing airliner fleets as the A320neo and A330neo."