HAECO Xiamen completes Etihad A380 Superjumbo 6Y check

HAECO Xiamen, a member of the HAECO Group, has successfully completed its first 6Y Check on an Etihad Airways A380 Superjumbo. The national carrier of the United Arab Emirates, the Abu Dhabi-based airline had parked its A380 aircraft for three years during the pandemic and has now announced the return of its A380 fleet into service. HAECO Xiamen, with its EASA/GCAA A380 capabilities, experience, high safety and quality standards, and competitive turnaround times, is pleased to partner with Etihad by providing heavy maintenance and cabin refurbishment services on the A380s to support the return of this iconic aircraft to service.

The teams at HAECO Xiamen and Etihad Airways worked collaboratively to develop effective options to prepare for the return of the A380 aircraft. The project was completed on time, ensuring that the A380 aircraft was safely and efficiently returned to service.

“As a leading global MRO service provider, HAECO is honoured to have partnered with Etihad Airways for this special return-to-service project, supported by a long-standing experience and reputation of maintaining A380 aircraft to the highest quality and on-time performance delivery,” said Gerald Steinhoff, Chief Commercial Officer of HAECO Group.

“With the support of HAECO Xiamen’s extensive in-house capabilities for cabin and component repairs, we are confident that we have provided the highest standards of service expected by Etihad Airways and their customers. We are proud to have been chosen by Etihad Airways for this important project and we look forward to continuing our partnership with them in the future,” he added.

Paul Kear, Senior Vice President of Technical at Etihad Airways, said, “We look forward to returning the iconic A380 to our fleet this July and sharing the incredible A380 flying experience with our guests again. We are pleased to partner with HAECO Xiamen on the six-year maintenance check and return-to-service readiness. Their technical expertise and long-term experience have allowed us to return this aircraft to service on time and with the highest standards.”

With six double bay widebody hangars to accommodate 12 widebody and five narrowbody aircraft simultaneously, HAECO Xiamen provides airframe services across all major commercial aircraft types, covering maintenance checks, modifications, cabin reconfigurations and passenger-to-freighter conversions. It is currently building the world’s largest single span aircraft maintenance hangar at Xiamen Xiang’an International Airport. The new maintenance facility will combine innovation, green design and advanced technology to achieve optimum energy utilisation and operational efficiency, helping to reduce aircraft maintenance turnaround times and improve punctuality to meet customers' maintenance schedules. HAECO Xiamen celebrates 30 years of operational excellence this year.