Taikoo (Xiamen) Aircraft Engineering Company Limited ("TAECO") has been appointed by Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited ("VAA") as the airline's provider of heavy maintenance service (D Check) for its Boeing 747- 400 fleet.
The four-year maintenance services agreement for 2014 to 2017 was signed on 31 January at Virgin Atlantic's Maintenance Facility.
"TAECO has been providing heavy maintenance services for Virgin Atlantic since 2009. We are very pleased with the opportunity to become the airline's D Check service provider for its 747-400 fleet," said Steve Chadwick, Chief Executive Officer of TAECO.
"We take pride in our delivery of high quality services and the ability to accommodate the customers' specific needs. Virgin Atlantic has been a very appreciative customer and we will continue to provide best-in-class service to the airline."
Phil Maher, Director of Engineering at Virgin Atlantic stated that, "VAA has had a good experience of both D Check and major cabin reconfiguration support from TAECO over the last few years and we look forward to their support for the remaining period of Boeing 747- 400 service at VAA."
Virgin Atlantic operates a combination of Boeing and Airbus wide-body aircraft, including 13 Boeing 747- 400 aircraft.
About Virgin Atlantic Airways Limited
Virgin Atlantic flies to 34 destinations worldwide, including locations across North America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Far East and Australia. Some of the recent additions to its flying network include Cancun, Vancouver and Mumbai and this spring Virgin will launch a domestic flying programme with flights to Manchester, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. It currently flies 5.5 million passengers a year.
Virgin Atlantic has enjoyed huge popularity, winning top business, consumer and trade awards from around the world and was recently placed 8th in the UK Coolest Brands League. The airline has pioneered a range of innovations setting new standards of service, which its competitors have subsequently sought to follow. Despite Virgin Atlantic's growth the service still remains customer driven with an emphasis on value for money, quality, fun and innovation.
Virgin Atlantic currently has a fleet of aircraft which includes Boeing 747-400s, A340-300s, A340-600s and A330-300s. The airline is expecting delivery of 16 Boeing 787 Dreamliners from 2014.
About Taikoo (Xiamen) Aircraft Engineering Co. Ltd. ("TAECO")
TAECO, a HAECO Group company, began operations in 1996 as a commercial jet MRO and has since grown to become China's largest such facility. TAECO currently comprises six double-bay, wide-body hangars. Business lines include heavy maintenance across Boeing's and Airbus's complete range of commercial aircraft, line maintenance in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Xiamen, passenger to freighter conversion for Boeing 747, 757 and 737 types, VIP cabin completion, aviation parts manufacturing and training. TAECO provides maintenance and modification services to reputable global airlines for Boeing 737, 747, 757, 767, 777; Airbus A320, 330, 340 and MD-11 aircraft.
About Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company Limited ("HAECO")
HAECO is one of the world's leading aeronautical engineering groups providing a comprehensive range of services encompassing Airframe Maintenance, Cabin Reconfiguration / Integration Services, Cabin Completion Centre / Design Engineering, Freighter Conversion, Parts Manufacturing, Line Maintenance, Fleet Technical Management, Inventory Technical Management, Component Services, Engine Overhaul and Technical Training. The HAECO Group consists of 18 subsidiaries and affiliates, employing over 14,000 staff in Hong Kong, Mainland China and Singapore and Bahrain. HAECO is publicly listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (Stock Code: 00044). HAECO's website: www.haeco.com.
Source: Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company Limited