Flybe Aviation Services, the aircraft maintenance division of Flybe, Europe’s largest regional airline, will welcome some of the world’s leading aviation engineers next week as it hosts the Embraer Maintenance Review Board Working Group on behalf of the Brazilian-based aircraft manufacturer for the first time. Committee members from as far afield as Australia, Brazil and the US will head for the South West of England for four days of planning and discussions at Flybe’s headquarters at Exeter International Airport,

The working group committee, comprising some of the Industry’s leading aviation engineers, is responsible for creating the preliminary maintenance programme for Embraer’s E-Jet aircraft fleet. The aim of the meeting is to have an agreed maintenance programme ready for sign off and approval by the regulatory aviation bodies, EASA, FAA, TCAA and ANAC later in the year.

Stefan Kontorravdis, Director of Engineering said: “We are extremely proud to be co-chairing this event with Embraer and to be welcoming such a prestigious group of airlines here at our Exeter facilities. Not only does it allow us the opportunity to show case our Maintenance business as the largest regional MRO in Europe today but it provides key airline representatives the platform to meet other like-minded airlines in developing in service improvements with the aircraft manufacturer.”
Members of the working group and Executive Committee will also have the opportunity to see first-hand the comprehensive range of cost-efficient maintenance services offered by Flybe’s ‘one stop’ Aviation Services’ workshops and the airline’s Training Academy.

Flybe’s Aviation Services’ state-of-the-art MRO facilities, housed in the impressive New Walker Hangar, is the largest regional maintenance facility in Europe from which the company supports a diverse and impressive global group of customers. Its workshops offer fully capable, flexible solutions that incorporate a comprehensive range of services unrivalled by any other similar facility in the sector, providing an efficient service with guaranteed downtimes so critically important to the economic and sustainable operation of any airline.

The workshop bays, totalling 2910 m2 (31,322 ft2), offer seamless 24/7 maintenance services on a number of specialist and generalist capabilities including composite repairs, aircraft wing repairs, Non Destructive Testing (a variety of sophisticated techniques available to any aircraft in any location), battery checks, calibration, wheels, safety equipment and paint services. Some of these capabilities employ the use of specialist materials rarely available such as the use of titanium in welding.  Essentially, as a ‘one-stop shop’, Flybe workshops offer every maintenance service required from extensive repairs and work on major aircraft structures to checking and maintaining first aid kits stowed on the aircraft.