SriLankan Engineering has won global recognition for high standards of aircraft maintenance.

The European Aviation Safety Agency has awarded the prestigious industry standard EASA 145 to SriLankan Engineering, in recognition of its commitment to the highest standards of professionalism in aircraft maintenance.

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is the authoritative institution throughout all European Union nations, and regulates maintenance standards and aircraft certifications in all European airlines.

In addition, EASA standards are used by airlines outside Europe for aircraft that are leased from European financial institutions.

SriLankan Airlines CEO Peter Hill said:

“This is indeed a landmark achievement in the history of SriLankan Airlines.

“EASA 145 is a truly global standard for aircraft maintenance.

“It provides proof to the global aviation industry of our engineering capabilities, something that we in the airline have been quite confident of for quite some time.”

SriLankan Engineering, the technical arm of SriLankan Airlines, is actively marketing its aircraft maintenance capabilities to other airlines, and the certification by EASA will significantly strengthen its profile among prospective customers who include airlines throughout Asia and Europe.

Chief technical officer Captain Dick Hutton said: “SriLankan Engineering can provide maintenance services far more cost-effectively than European and Middle Eastern service providers, and this certification enables airlines to confidently send us their aircraft without first having to carry out audits on our capabilities.”

SriLankan Engineering earlier proved its capabilities when it was presented the award of ‘World’s Most Efficient Operator of Airbus A330s in the Small Fleet category’ by Airbus Industrie. Since then it has made significant investments in further upgrading its facilities at Colombo’s Bandaranaike International Airport.

Several stringent audits were conducted by EASA inspectors prior to the certification.

Significant milestones by SriLankan Engineering in recent times have included ‘4C5Y’ major maintenance checks on three Airbus A330 aircraft of customer airlines, and a ‘C-check’ on an A320 aircraft of another.

SriLankan Engineering has vast expertise with Airbus aircraft, as Sri Lanka’s National Carrier has an all-Airbus fleet of A320s, A330s, and A340s.

SriLankan Engineering is currently seeking a further certification – EASA 147 – for its Technical Training School, which provides comprehensive training for both pilots and engineering staff, including local and foreign students.

It is already accredited by aviation authorities of Sri Lanka, Pakistan and the Maldives. TradeArabia News Service