China Southern Airlines Calls upon AFI KLM E&M's expertise for A350s

Paris, Amstelveen, Guangzhou, December 13, 2019 - China Southern has signed a long-term contract for the provision of component support for its twenty newly acquired aircraft. With the A350 model having just made its debut within the fleet, the airline has opted for a pooling solution to secure its operational capacities. The maintenance program includes maintenance, repair and logistic services. In addition to AFI KLM E&M's global pool located at Paris, Singapore and Detroit, they will gain access to the central China pool of Shanghai as well as dedicated Main Base Kits (MBK) in Guangzhou and Beijing.

Local support bolstered by a global network
China Southern and Air France KLM have a long history of partnership. With the Group MRO arm AFI KLM E&M, the Chinese has signed off on multiple support service contracts for engines, components, and APUs. Once again, AFI KLM E&M has been able to persuade China Southern Airlines that it was the right partner for the job.

"The service package offered by AFI KLM E&M is perfectly adapted to our needs in terms of budgetary and operational requirements", declared Li Tongbin, Executive Vice President of China Southern. We benefit from both the economies of scale generated by AFI KLM E&M's global A350 pooling, as well as localized services via their Shanghai-based pool."

Thanks to the presence of this regional pool, AFI KLM E&M can immediately accommodate China Southern Airlines' fleet of A350s for any stopover in China, thereby eliminating the risks of operational delays caused by long customs processes or transport timeframes when a part needs to be dispatched from foreign countries.

"The AOG support provided by AFI KLM E&M all over the world is a marker of reassurance for our operations, especially in Europe and the USA," added Li Tongbin.

Indeed, it is this truly global network that enables AFI KLM E&M to provide effective support services anywhere in the world the airline might need them.

AFI KLM E&M consolidates its position on the A350
Dominik Wiener-Silva, Vice President Sales of AFI KLM E&M for Asia Pacific, is delighted with the new contract landed in China: "China Southern is the latest Chinese operator to have integrated the A350 into its fleet, and it's an honour to be chosen to provide component pooling support for one of the largest airline operators in the world. We're proud to have earned the trust of many airlines in China and boosted our reputation in this growing region."

This new contract firmly bolsters AFI KLM E&M's position vis-a-vis A350 component pooling in China, Asia and the global market as a whole.