Two Sub-Saharan airlines – SAA and Kenya Airways – are looking at a partnership to provide maintenance, repairs and overhaul (MRO) services.
Nairobi-based Kenya Airways is exploring a partnership with South African Airways’ technical subsidiary SAA Technical (SAAT).
SAA, KENYA AIRWAYS PARTNERSHIP
Both South African Airways (SAA) and Kenya Airways have technical units that provide aircraft maintenance and servicing.
This enables the airlines to conveniently service their own fleets as well as to earn income from providing services to other airlines.
According to Aviation Week, Kenya Airways CEO, Allan Kilavuka, said that his airline sees an opportunity to collaborate with SAA on MRO services, with the aim of scaling up Kenya Airways’ maintenance capabilities and potentially making it a standalone business unit.
“We share information, in terms of support. We want to go one step further and look at their technical because they have a very good technical unit there,” he said.
Both SAA and Kenya Airways have efficient MRO capabilities, servicing their own fleets as well as other carriers’ aircraft.
Kilavuka believes that partnering with SAA, which has spare capacity and skilled personnel, could help expand these services further.
“They have the tools and the personnel to help us really scale up. We have the capacity to grow, but for us to grow we need tools and space and even more personnel. So, if we work collaboratively with South African Airways, we can provide that.” Kilavuka said.
ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY
By being able to offer MRO services airlines can reduce costs for themselves as well as generate income by providing such services to carriers that do not have these capabilities.
Kilavuka said that providing MRO services could increase Kenya Airways’ economic sustainability, by diversifying its revenue streams.
“There are different pillars (of sustainability), different streams for diversification. Pillar one is growing MRO,” Kilavuka said.
SAA TECHNICAL
SAAT has long been a significant role player on the African continent when it comes to maintenance and technical servicing.
However, since its major shareholder South African Airways downsized its fleet after relaunching in 2021, SAAT has the capacity to service more aircraft outside of the South African Airways’ fleet.
CH-Aviation reports that SAA Technical CEO Wellington Nyuswa has shown interest in collaborating with Kenya Airways.
KENYA AIRWAYS MAINTENANCE AND SERVICING
Kenya Airways’ internal MRO division currently handles around 65% of the airline’s maintenance and servicing.
It also provides services to other airlines. This amounts to around 15% of its business.
Kenya’s MRO unit services the aircraft of various other airlines. These include Astral Aviation, Rwanda’s national airline (RwandAir) and Mozambique’s national carrier (LAM Linhas Aereas de Mozambique).
