Alongside air transport, the Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the demand for aircraft maintenance services. As a result, for over a year, Czech Airlines Technics (CSAT) has been providing its services to new clients, namely leasing companies, alongside traditional airline customers. Their number has been growing steadily, and a new service model of one-stop-shop maintenance has been created to suit their needs.

"We respond to market development trends and offer leasing companies a service model that includes complex work by one provider, without the need for additional suppliers and unnecessary overflights to organise subsequent maintenance. We are able to provide complex customer support during aircraft parking, including CAMO support, aircraft registration / deregistration, and aircraft readiness according to the specific requirements of the new operator after a leasing agreement termination," Pavel Haleš, Chairman of the Czech Airlines Technics Board of Directors, said, adding: “It is a very interesting model for our company, which can ensure the use of our capacities even during the off-season period.”

By the end of 2020, CSAT's client portfolio comprised predominantly airline aircraft operators. However, the air transport downturn due to the Covid-19 pandemic caused airlines to reduce aircraft numbers and terminate contracts with aircraft owners. In the second half of December 2020, the first aircraft owned by a leasing company thus headed to Prague Airport."After the first project, we managed to negotiate a follow-up co-operation, and in the 2021 summer season, we performed several checks for two large leasing companies. We also launched co-operating with more clients among leasing companies," Pavel Haleš added.

Currently, CSAT provides parking for several aircraft, on which it will soon carry out major inspections and redelivery projects, incl. complementary services, such as DOA and CAMO. The arrival of other aircraft to undergo inspections is planned during the summer of this year. Parking services are also offered to airlines, both at Prague Airport and at partner airports in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.