EGME opens its doors to tailor-made solutions

EgyptAir Maintenance and Engineering is targeting third-party work to put its new capacity and capabilities to profitable use. Chuck Grieve reports.

Calling all African operators: EgyptAir Maintenance and Engineering (EGME) is open for business – and keen to get yours.
That’s the message from the MRO division of EgyptAir, one of the pioneers of civil aviation in Africa and the Middle East.
And it’s serious, judging by the latest group annual report, which shows EGME’s third-party revenue was up 67% in 2015-16.
As the country’s Aviation Minister, Sherif Fathi, said in a recent interview with Farnborough International News Network (FINN), Egypt has had “some challenges” recently. However, its aviation sector is recovering from the setbacks of recent years and moving forward, modernising as it goes.
Alongside the expansion of its main customer, EGME is upgrading capacity and capabilities at its main base, an integrated maintenance and overhaul complex at Cairo International Airport.
The centrepiece will be a new heavy maintenance facility alongside Hangars 8000, 7000, 6000 and 5000, which is expected to be built in the next two years.
In the meantime, the MRO operator is renovating its existing hangars on a schedule which, it says, mirrors EgyptAir’s fleet modernisation while meeting the technical requirements of all its customers. Existing shops cover a wide range of technical capabilities including metallic and non-metallic structural repairs.
It plans to extend services to other countries in north Africa by adding to its 11 line maintenance stations, which include EASA Part 145-approved facilities in Dammam, Riyadh, Jeddah and Khartoum. These facilities already serve an impressive list of airlines from all over Africa, the Middle East and Asia, including the big four from the Gulf.
EGME is well-positioned with its light and heavy capabilities for many modern types to handle the growth it expects in narrow-body, wide-body and regional aircraft.
Last September, it gained a key approval from the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority (ECAA) to overhaul CFM56-7B engines, which power EgyptAir’s growing fleet of B737-800 aircraft. EGME chief executive, Abou Taleb Tawfik, described the approval as a strategic move to control costs and time out of revenue service, but also to extend the scope of EGME’s services for the benefit of current and prospective customers operating the same aircraft.
Tawfik said EGME is investing in continuous development and improvement in technical capabilities and human resources to expand the scope of technical services it provides “to meet the needs of the largest number of customers”.
He said EGME is working to a “long-term plan” to expand capacity and capabilities in line with its target growth. Among its projects were a new hangar dedicated to painting and two light maintenance hangars.
A spokesman said EGME is targeting markets in both the Gulf and Africa, where it can capitalise on its relative competitive advantages. These it lists as its central location, extensive technical experience on a variety of aircraft types, and one-stop shop capability in engines and components, which add up to “best value for money” in maintaining expensive assets.
“We partner with our clients to address their technical requirements,” said the spokesman, “and creatively develop solutions tailored to each client’s operational characteristics.
“Our geographical centricity enables our customers to access our main base facilities with minimum cost, time and climate constraints.”
EGME has selected the AMOS digital platform developed by Swiss-AS to help manage its activities. “This software is designed to support operational processes and real-time technical decision-making, securing the residual value of our customer assets,” said the spokesman. Go-live is expected by year-end.