Oman Air said it has sealed a eight-year contract with Bombardier Aerospace that will see the company perform all repair work on Rolls-Royce Trent 700 inlet cowls for the Sultanate’s fleet of Airbus A330 aircraft.
 
Oman Air currently operates seven A330s, each fitted with Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines, and has three further A330s on order for delivery from 2014. In July this year, the national carrier had announced that Trent 700s had also been ordered for the new aircraft.

Bombardier has more than 20 years of experience in designing, developing, manufacturing and repairing Trent 700 inlet cowls, and this new agreement demonstrates Bombardier’s market leading ability on the Trent.

CEO Wayne Pearce said: "I am extremely pleased to have signed this new agreement with Bombardier Aerospace, which will provide vital support for our flagship Airbus A330 fleet. As Oman Air’s major fleet expansion is unrolled – we currently operate a total of 30 aircraft and have a further 20 on order – the swift and reliable repair of our Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines will become even more important."

"Bombardier’s long experience and undoubted expertise in maintaining and repairing Trent 700 inlet cowls will help us to uphold our well-deserved reputation for reliability and on-time performance across our network of 43 destinations, making an important contribution to Oman Air’s unbeatable passenger experience," he noted.

Salim Al KIndy, the chief technical officer, Oman Air, said: “This new contract with Bombardier will play a vital part in ensuring that Oman Air’s A330s continue to operate a reliable and punctual long haul service. We look forward to a long and successful partnership with Bombardier, the effects of which will be greatly appreciated by our customers.”

Bombardier Component Repair and Overhaul has dedicated facilities at Belfast (Northern Ireland) Dallas (US) and Wichita (US). The company also supports operators through a customer services team spanning five continents and has fifteen regional support offices, nine wholly-owned service centres, four customer response centres and two aircraft training centres.

Stephen Addis, the general manager, Bombardier Aerostructures and Services, Belfast, said the company has extensive experience in the design and manufacture of engine nacelles.

"We are constantly drawing on that expertise to engineer innovative repair solutions at our Belfast-based Component, Repair and Overhaul facility. This new agreement with Oman Air exemplifies our competitiveness in the Middle East and further demonstrates Bombardier’s commitment to expanding and developing our footprint in the Gulf region, supporting the growing aviation sector," he remarked.

Gary Martin, VP (Sales, Marketing and Service Programs) said Bombardier’s commitment to offering the most comprehensive aftermarket support solutions has never been stronger.

"This extended repair capability continues our worldwide expansion – from increased parts inventory to enhanced maintenance and training capabilities in the Middle East, the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Africa," he stated.

In addition to its seven Airbus A330s, Oman Air’s current fleet strength includes 17 Boeing B737s, four Embraer E175s and two ATR 42s. Joining the three further A330s currently on order are 11 more B737s and six Boeing B787 Dreamliners, which will allow the airline to further expand its network across the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Africa, and to increase frequencies on existing routes.-TradeArabia News Service