Norwegian MRO, Scandinavian Aircraft Maintenance (SAM), is setting up a heavy maintenance base in Korat, central Thailand, which will be put under the SAM Thai umbrella. The company plans to provide line and heavy maintenance services in Thailand but is still waiting for regulatory approvals. It has been biding its time by getting contracts for work on aircraft parts and then having the work done at its facilities in Scandinavia. SAM Thai has approval from the land owner, the Thailand department of civil aviation, to start construction at Korat Airport, But SAM Thai is waiting for approval from Thailand’s Board of Investments.
SAM owns 49% of SAM Thai, and the other 51% is owned by Thai nationals in accordance with the country’s foreign ownership laws.
The facility will be able to accommodate one Boeing 747-400. Korat’s runway can handle only aircraft as large as an Airbus A320 or Boeing 737, although the authorities plan to extend it to accommodate 747-400s. However, it is more likely that SAM Thai will initially focus on heavy checks for A320s and 737s.