AFI KLM E&M has been awarded CCAR 145 approval by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for its components maintenance shop located in Shanghai. After a final audit carried out in the week of 18-24 November, during which the Chinese authorities inspected management systems, processes, technical manuals, and technician qualifications, the workshop was granted approval as a maintenance organization on Chinese soil. This unit is helmed by Paul Sun Baochuan, head of AFI KLM E&M Industrial Development in Shanghai.
With this new workshop, AFI KLM E&M can market a component support offering tailored to the unique characteristics of the Chinese aircraft maintenance market, where demand is mainly for component repairs carried out on Chinese territory and invoiced on a Time & Materials basis. In this system, a local presence is a decisive criterion for Chinese airlines, and by setting up in Shanghai, the AFI KLM E&M components shop is conforming to this requirement.
The repair solutions provided by the shop will start on Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 avionics systems. They all benefit from the expertise and technical know-how of AFI KLM E&M, a global MRO and a market leader for Airbus and Boeing component support. The Shanghai shop is set to develop its portfolio of services rapidly and extend it shortly to long-haul aircraft.
Franck Terner, Executive Vice President, AIR FRANCE KLM Engineering & Maintenance, said: "The certification of our Shanghai workshop marks the latest stage in the development of the AFI KLM E&M network. We are hoping to begin operations in the very near future, and we are inviting all Chinese airline operators interested in our solutions to come and inspect our facility and meet our staff. We are eager to work locally with the country's airlines, and to demonstrate to them the quality and high performance levels of our component support solutions.