AFI KLM E&M Expands Leap, Component Support
BARCELONA—AFI KLM E&M signed several new customer contracts at MRO Europe this year, growing its work for component and engine support.
BARCELONA—AFI KLM E&M signed several new customer contracts at MRO Europe this year, growing its work for component and engine support.
The MRO provider signed a long-term component support agreement with Spanish carrier Air Europa for its Boeing 787 fleet. The agreement includes establishment of a main base kit in Madrid dedicated to the airline’s 787 fleet.
AFI KLM E&M also signed a new Airbus A320 component support contract with Air Corsica, replacing an existing agreement signed in 2013. The new contract, which runs through the end of 2035, includes services such as component pooling, repairs and positioning of a main base kit at Air Corsica’s main base in Ajaccio, France.
Bolstering its business in the CFM International Leap market, AFI KLM E&M also established a partnership with LOT Polish Airlines to provide quick turn support for its Leap 1B engines. In addition to growing its relationship with LOT, which already includes component support for the airline’s 737s and 787s, the partnership is part of AFI KLM E&M’s plans to grow Leap expertise.
AFI KLM E&M has been active on the Leap platform since 2018 and it signed a CFM Branded Service Agreement for Leap 1As and 1Bs in 2022. The company operates Leap shops in both Amsterdam and Paris.
“We have already done more than 70 quick turns on the Leap, and we’re moving now into performance restoration shop visits,” said Marcel Kuijn, AFI KLM E&M’s vice president of sales for Europe and key accounts, on the sidelines of MRO Europe. “Normally we specialize in a certain engine type in a certain facility, so for Amsterdam and Paris, given the size of the Leap market, we decided to invest on both sides so that both shops will be fully capable. That for us is quite unique, but it also shows the big potential in that market and the need from our customers.”
Within the last year, AFI KLM E&M has signed more than 20 new contracts in the European region. “There is more to come. We’re working on a lot of new opportunities, and clearly for us, the Leap is an important focus area,” Kuijn said.
