S7 Technics (part of the S7 Group) has signed an investment agreement with the Government of St. Petersburg and Pulkovo Airport on the construction of a new aircraft maintenance centre at the airport. The agreement was signed on June 3 within the framework of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
"In Russia, there are not enough aircraft MRO centres, even in the pandemic period, we see a high demand for base maintenance from Russian airlines. After the restoration of air traffic, we expect a steady growth of Russian and global market customers. Of course, European low-cost airlines that plan flights to St. Petersburg are our potential customers, since they do not have their own MRO centres for base maintenance. The advantage here will also be the current "open sky" mode in Pulkovo. For us, the new MRO centre is a comprehensive project that will help develop the airport's infrastructure and whole aviation industry. We plan to invest more than 3 billion rubles from the S7 Technics’ funds, without attracting external investments, " said Vladimir Perekrestov, CEO of S7 Technics.
The new MRO centre will perform a wide scope of work, including base maintenance (D-check inclusive), line maintenance, structural repairs, engineering support, EASA Part-21 J modifications and production of aircraft interior elements in accordance with the requirements of EASA Part-21 G. Among the directions will be the repair of components and personnel training (in accordance with EASA Part 147 and FAR-289). S7 Technics is also an approved MRO provider for MC-21 aircraft.
"The new aircraft maintenance centre will be the fourth for S7 Technics, which will allow us to strengthen our position as a leader in the maintenance services of different types of aircraft in Russia and the CIS. The new centre will be able to serve Airbus A320 Family and Boeing B737 of all generations, as well as Sukhoi Superjet 100 and MC-21. We plan to carry out 35-40 heavy maintenance checks (C-and D-Check) and about 200 line maintenance checks (A-Check) per year," says Vladimir Perekrestov, CEO of S7 Technics.
According to preliminary estimates, the new centre will create workplaces for about 400 specialists. The area of the MRO centre will be approximately 12,000 sq. m.
According to the roadmap of the project, the coordination of documentation and architectural development of the project will be carried out in 2021-2022.
The active construction stage will begin in 2023. The new MRO centre is planned to be fully completed by 2025.