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AAR has signed a five-year exclusive contract with Air Canada to support its fleet of 89 Airbus 319, 320 and 321 narrow-body aircraft. The scheduled heavy maintenance will be performed at AAR’s maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility at Duluth International Airport.
The five-year deal formally extends service that began under a letter of intent signed in October 2012. Work initially commenced at AAR’s aircraft maintenance facility in Miami and was transitioned to Duluth after AAR opened the new MRO in November of that year.
The contract was ceremonially signed by AAR and Air Canada executives at an event to celebrate a maintenance milestone at AAR’s Duluth repair station – completion of the 100th aircraft for Air Canada. The aviation executives were joined at the hangar by Duluth Mayor Don Ness, the Canadian Consulate General, other local and state officials and AAR employees to showcase the public-private partnerships that have played a key role in re-opening the formerly abandoned 188,000-square-foot hangar. Today, AAR Aircraft Services – Duluth supports three lines of aircraft maintenance and 305 jobs and is on track to add a fourth line in November, creating another 70 jobs.
“I’d like to thank Air Canada for making this relationship official based on the good work our employees have been doing,” said Chris Jessup, senior vice president, AAR Airframe and Engineering Services. “Locating an MRO in Duluth has been a great asset for us, and we look forward to meeting the next milestone.”
Air Canada’s vice president, Maintenance and Engineering, Alan Butterfield, added, “We are very pleased with the work performed by AAR Airframe and Engineering Services on Air Canada’s narrow body airbus fleet. This contract assures Air Canada of a quality solution for our A320F maintenance needs through AAR’s extensive and proven capabilities in this field.”
The Duluth repair center operates as part of AAR’s nationwide 1MRO Network, which also includes facilities in Indianapolis, Miami, Oklahoma City, Hot Springs, Ark., and a new operation in Lake Charles, La., which can accommodate wide-body aircraft. AAR’s 1MRO approach provides customers with access to integrated repair, engineering, IT, parts services and increased flexibility. AAR is the No. 1 provider of MRO services in North America and No. 3 in the world, according to industry rankings.
