Paris, Amstelveen, Dubai, 13 November 2017 - Gulf Air, the Kingdom of Bahrain's national carrier, has entrusted maintenance of the APS5000 auxiliary power units (APU) equipping the airline's 10 new, incoming, Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft to AFI KLM E&M. The long-term contract includes a guarantee covering APU replacement. The repair services will be provided by AFI KLM E&M subsidiary EPCOR, global market leader for MRO support for APUs.

Proven expertise
This latest contract, signed at the Dubai Air Show, marks the renewal of Gulf Air's trust in the AFI KLM E&M network. The collaboration between the two companies started several years ago with the repair of Gulf Air's CFM56 engines and the airline currently uses AFI KLM E&M services for component support on its existing fleet of A320s and A330s, and those of its Dubai-based AMES subsidiary for nacelle and radome repairs. EPCOR, for its part, has provided APU support for the Bahraini carrier's Airbus A330s for a number of years.

Captain Waleed Abdulhameed Al Alawi, Gulf Air Deputy Chief Executive Officer, said: "EPCOR's proven TAT and service quality performance observed in the framework of our A330 APU contract convinced us to extend our partnership to this new type of APU and we are pleased to continue our relationship with them as we prepare to welcome new aircraft into our fleet."

EPCOR Managing Director, Dennis Wetjens added: "Our leadership position for APU maintenance and repair means we can guarantee unrivaled reliability and experience for our clients. The renewed trust Gulf Air has honored us with is most definitely a bonus for our development in a region with fast-growing MRO requirements."