It will be located in the center of the Punta Cana Free Trade Zone.
The Puntacana Group will begin a new mutual infrastructure project at the Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ) with FL Technics, a recognized independent global provider of MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) services, to create the first aircraft maintenance center in the region.
Strategically located in the center of the Punta Cana Free Trade Zone, the MRO area will have 115,588 m2 of land and 27,000 m2 of construction, with space to house five positions to perform different maintenance processes on narrow-body aircraft, and a planned expansion of the facility to a total of 12 bays at a later date.
With the creation of this area, around 1,600 jobs related to MRO operations will be created.
Zilvinas Lapinskas, CEO of FL Technics, highlighted the mindset and leadership that have driven this project.
“It is a pleasure to participate in this type of project with industry leaders as we demonstrate a mutual mindset and ambition,” he said.
“For FL Technics, this is the first infrastructure project to be developed from scratch in the Americas,” he added, “while for colleagues at Puntacana Group, it is the first with an independent global MRO service provider based in Europe. Together we are taking steps towards this venture that will potentially become a strategic aviation hub in the Americas”.
Construction to last two years
Upon completion of the first phase of development, the facility will include five base maintenance operations bays, including a full support shop complex.
The construction process will take approximately two years and marks FL Technics’ commitment to build on the existing independent global MRO network, with hangars already operating in Europe and Asia-Pacific.
“Strategic and operational business development requires meticulous planning and assessment, especially when it comes to complex projects in new markets. I am confident that this new infrastructure will become the foundation for future expansion of the new MRO center, as the FL Technics team will apply best practices already successfully proven in other continents,” commented Saulius Bajarunas, Chief Operations Officer (COO) of FL Technics, while underlining the potential that the teams bring to the Americas.
The importance of having a Maintenance, Repair and Operations Center at Punta Cana International Airport is vital to ensure the safety and efficiency of air operations in the region.
Services to be offered
“We are pleased to announce our strategic alliance with FL Technics, a leading aircraft maintenance services company, to offer world-class MRO services at Punta Cana International Airport and the Punta Cana Free Trade Zone,” said Giovanni Rainieri, director of Airside Operations at Punta Cana International Airport.
“With this strategic alliance, airport customers will have access to a wide range of aircraft maintenance and repair services, including scheduled inspections, component repairs, cabin modifications, painting, among others,” he explained.
With the presence of an MRO at the airport, air operators will be able to reduce maintenance costs and improve the efficiency of their operations by reducing aircraft downtime.
“Grupo Puntacana is committed to offering high quality, value-added services to our customers, and the partnership with FL Technics is an important step towards achieving that goal. We thank FL Technics for their confidence in our vision and are excited to work together to offer exceptional MRO services at Punta Cana International Airport,” Rainieri added.
About Punta Cana Free Trade Zone
With an investment of approximately US$200 million, the Punta Cana Free Trade Zone will be a logistics operations center and offices for the development of the Punta Cana Hub, a place of innovation and development for Fintech companies.
With an area of 546,617.45 m2 of land, the project will contribute to the economic growth of the area, creating more than 10,000 jobs. Its operation seeks to position Punta Cana and the Dominican Republic as leaders in international trade and foreign investment.
About FL Technics
FL Technics is a global provider of aircraft MRO services. The company specializes in base and line maintenance, spare parts and components, engine, APU and LG management, complete aircraft engineering and technical training.
FL Technics is a certified company, with hangars in Lithuania, Indonesia and the UK, along with line stations around the world.
It is a member of the Avia Solutions Group family. It is the world’s largest ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance) provider, with more than 180 aircraft in its fleet, and parent company of SmartLynx, Avion Express, BBN Airlines, KlasJet, Magma Aviation and others operating in all continents of the world.
The Group also provides various aviation services such as MRO, pilot and crew training, ground handling and other interconnected solutions. Avia Solutions Group is supported by more than 11,500 qualified aviation professionals worldwide.
Source: Diariolibre.com
