Air France KLM and Airbus to Create Dedicated Venture for Airbus A350 Component Support

Air France KLM and Airbus have announced that they are in exclusive negotiations to establish a joint venture for the provision of Airbus A350 component maintenance services on a worldwide basis. The joint venture, which would be equally owned by both partners, would involve the transfer of aircraft components assets belonging to both partners into the joint venture’s pool.

The joint venture would aim to meet the growing long-term maintenance needs of the Airbus A350 worldwide fleet, which has more than 1,000 aircraft on order and 550 currently in service. The joint venture would offer an optimized commercial offering for customers, as well as enhanced capacity, an expanded global footprint, and the development of innovative solutions.

The joint venture would combine the expertise of Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance and Airbus, two leading players in the aviation industry. Anne Brachet, Executive Vice President Air France-KLM Engineering & Maintenance, said that the project would bring customers the best expertise of the two companies on a product as high-tech as the A350. Cristina Aguilar, Senior Vice President Customer Services at Airbus, said that the joint venture would deliver the very best service to customers and support the decarbonisation of aviation.

The objective is for the joint venture to be operational by the first half of 2024, subject to approval by all relevant authorities and compliance with all regulatory requirements. The joint venture would also produce a report by the end of 2023, outlining the key milestones and actions needed over the next decade.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, msn.com, reuters.com, airbus.com, airfranceklm.com