Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Europe Increases Garuda's Ranking for Maintenance Facilities
Source: TEMPO Interactive
DESY PAKPAHAN

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has increased the maintenance ranking of Airbus 320 PT Garuda Maintenance Facilities (GMF) AeroAsia after an audit was carried out from 2 to 7 March.

"The audit confirmed that GMF has fulfilled all EASA requirements for Airbus 320 maintenance," said the Vice President Quality Assurance and Safety at GMF Fuad Abdullah, on Tuesday (9/3).

Fuad said that the EASA audit covered all aspect of maintenance such as personnel, facilities, training, equipment and procedures. The audit is carried out every year.

From the audit, he continued, EASA recommended that GMF ask for personnel qualification for Non Destructive Testing (NDT) from Europe or other countries, because Indonesia still does not have that standard.

Whereas EASA requires NDT personnel to get the qualification in line with European or national standards.

Even though they have fulfilled the standards and the audit, Fuad said that GMF will keep on improving.

GMF Managing Director Richard Budihadianto added that the raised ranking could push A320 plane maintenance business.

Moreover the A320 plane numbers keep on increasing in the domestic and international markets.

Up until now the number of Airbus 319/320 planes in South East Asia reached 181.

In Indonesia there are 24 planes operated by three companies.

"This is the market GMF wants to attract," he said.

Richard added that domestic maintenance could save airlines spending, because the cost is cheaper than at overseas workshops.