Tempe, Ariz. – November 3, 2014 – StandardAero Airlines & Fleets has been selected to provide PW125B engine maintenance and field services support for Antwerp, Belgium-based VLM Airlines fleet of 12 Fokker 50 model aircraft. Engine maintenance will predominately take place at StandardAero’s European Service Center (ESC) located in Tilburg, Netherlands for in-region engine shop support as well as at the company’s Winnipeg facility with field services support onsite and at VLM’s base in Antwerp . The new, three-year agreement, was completed on October 16, 2014.
“The on-going expertise of our ESC’s PW125B MRO services and capabilities to provide Fokker 50 Quick Engine Change (QEC) support solidified our new and expanded relationship,” said Rob Cords, President of StandardAero Airlines & Fleets. “VLM followed a very extensive and in-depth tender offer and we were pleased to be selected on the key criteria for their specific service requirements.”
“We selected StandardAero because they offer full PW125B engine maintenance, including QEC capabilities and AOG support, while StandardAero and VLM bring a similar engine maintenance service philosophy to the new agreement. In addition, the close proximity and central European location of the ESC will allow for faster and more efficient service delivery for VLM,” confirmed Jaap Horsten, Engineering Manager for VLM.
VLM Airlines N.V. (www.vlmairlines.com) is a Belgian operator, headquartered at Antwerp International Airport. VLM operates a fleet of 12 Fokker 50 aircraft with a turnover of 40M euros and employs 263 employees. Founded in 1993, VLM Airlines is a successful operator of ACMI (“wet lease”) and charter airline services, serving customers including airlines, tour operators, corporate, government and military organizations. In October, 2014, VLM Airlines was acquired by its management from investment company INTRO Aviation GmbH, having operated prior to this as a unit of Air France-KLM subsidiary Cityjet.
StandardAero is one of the world’s largest independent providers of services including engine and airframe maintenance, repair and overhaul, engine component repair, engineering services, interior completions and paint applications. StandardAero serves a diverse array of customers in business and general aviation, airline, military, helicopter, components, energy and VIP completions markets. A Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) company, StandardAero provides a global service network of 13 primary facilities in the U.S., Canada, Europe, Singapore and Australia, along with an additional 50 sales and field service locations. The company celebrated its 100th year of industry leadership in 2011. More information can be found on the company’s web site at www.standardaero.com
Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) Ltd is a globally recognized aerospace company specializing in maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services, aircraft completions and aircraft leasing. The Company is headquartered in Dubai and operates in four continents and employs over 4,000 people. More information can be found on the company’s web site at www.dubaiaerospace.com.