While much of the aviation world is looking forward to the new airframes and engines that will be gracing the skies during the next decade, one Jordanian company is focused very closely at the stars of yesteryear.
Jordan Airmotive, a specialized MRO provider based at Queen Alia International Airport - Amman, has discovered a niche in which it has developed a world class reputation.
Throughout the world - and particularly the developing nations-there are many airlines and cargo operators that are not in the position of the Gulf carries to order 787s and A350s and ,instead, are playing routes with classic legacy aircraft that may still have years left on the airframe. The problem is often the powerplants.
Engines that are no longer manufactured can create difficulties for spare parts or even knowledge for maintenance - and this where Jordan Airmotive comes in.
“The company was established in 1985 in collaboration with Rolls-Royce as an offset offer for the Royal Jordanian purchase of the Lockheed TriStar fleet with RB211-524B engines,” said General Manager Waheed Al-Rousan. The company became part of the Royal Jordanian group and was owned by the Government. In 2006, as part of the divestment of business by the airline, Jordan Airmotive moved into private hands through a local investment group.
But the heritage moved with the 27,000sqm facility and the company realized that there were fewer and fewer shops able to deal with the RB211 engines.
“There are still aircraft out there and our position between Europe, Asia and Africa makes us ideally located for engines repairs and overhaul, “Al-Rousan said.
Supporting the original RJ fleet of Boeing 707, 727 and 747 aircraft, as well as the TriStar, meant that Airmotive gained the necessary experience with engines such as the JT8D and the RB211-524.
More recently, as part of the overall growth strategy, the company is looking at other mature programs and has begun working with the CF6-80C2 engine.
“In the longer term we will be looking at the CFM56-5B AND CFM56-7 models, “Al-Rousan said.
The company is predicting 10% growth and will be looking to expand hanger space. “We have plenty of land and will be able to do it,”Al-Rousan said.
More investment has gone into the firm’s test bed facilities with $25 million begin spent on a new testbed for engines up to 100.000Ibs of thrust. “This is world class,” Al-Rousan said.
The investment will allow Jordan Airmotive to look at other models, such as IAE’s V2500 and the T56. “With our new capabilities, we believe we can reach about 68% of the engine populations worldwide, “AL-Rousan said.
