Garuda completes Pakistani jet modification<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Garuda Maintenance Facility, the national flag
\ncarrier Garuda Indonesia's aircraft maintenance unit, has
\ncompleted modifying three parts of a Pakistan International
\nAirlines (PIA) Boeing B-747-200 jet.<\/p>\n
In a simple ceremony at the Garuda Maintenance Facility (GMF)
\ncenter at Cengkareng, West Jakarta, Saturday, Garuda director of
\nfinance Achmad Subianto presented the jet maintenance documents
\nto PIA manager for engineering structure repair and
\nmodifications, Riaz A. Sheikh.<\/p>\n
"GMF has successfully and on time completed the modification
\nof three major parts of the jet, including wing pylon\/strut,
\nfuselage station and front-spare," Riaz said.<\/p>\n
He said GMF had completed 14 service bulletins of the jet on
\nschedule between Jan. 13 and Feb 14.<\/p>\n
PIA wanted GMF to maintain the jet because of Garuda's
\nprestige and the competitive price, he said.<\/p>\n
"This is the first time GMF and PIA have cooperated. The
\nmodification is very complicated and it's a very challenging job
\nfor GMF to restore the parts into the original power," he said.<\/p>\n
GMF chief Sunarko Kuntjoro said PIA paid US$350,000 for the
\nservice, less than the $500,000 other jet maintenance facilities
\nin Asia usually charge.<\/p>\n
He said based on a contract signed last November GMF would
\nmaintain four PIA jets by the end of this year.<\/p>\n
PIA flies to Jakarta from Karachi via Singapore twice a week
\nwith Airbus A-310 aircraft.<\/p>\n
PIA's B-747-200 jet maintenance project took 12,000 hours over
\n30 days.<\/p>\n
Boeing Co, the jet's manufacturer, requires airlines operating
\nB-747 series planes to modify the engine pylons.<\/p>\n
In the 24-year history of the 747 fleet there have been many
\nreported cases of cracks or corrosion occurring in the strut to
\nwing attachment components. Undetected cracks can lead to loss of
\nload path which could result in engine and strut separation.
\nStrut structural elements were involved in the recent China
\nAirlines, El Al and Evergreen accidents.<\/p>\n
Kuntjoro said GMF was experienced in maintaining and modifying
\nB-747s because Garuda operated several of them.<\/p>\n
Besides servicing domestic airlines, GMF, which opened in
\n1991, has several overseas customers including Malaysian Air
\nSystem for A-300 checking, Silk Air of Singapore and Tower Air of
\nthe United States for line maintenance.<\/p>\n
The 115-hectare GMF site near Soekarno-Hatta airport has
\nreceived many certificates of approval, including from the
\nIndonesian Air Force and the Directorate General of Air
\nTransportation, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, the
\nU.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the Thai Department of
\nAviation.<\/p>\n
Kuntjoro said GMF expected Rp 80 billion in revenue this year,
\nup from Rp 60 billion last year.<\/p>\n
Garuda suffers from long-standing financial problems and
\nrelies on its subsidiaries' business and strategic business units
\nlike GMF, Education and Training Center, PT Aerowisata, a hotel,
\ncatering and transportation operator and PT Abacus Indonesia, a
\nreservation service joint venture company.<\/p>\n
Last year the airline made a Rp 87.44 billion loss but Garuda
\nrecorded Rp 124.65 billion profit because the company sold unused
\njet spare-parts and other assets worth Rp 212.09 billion. The
\nairline, which plans to go public next year, suffered a Rp 342.79
\nbillion loss in 1995. (icn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/garuda-completes-pakistani-jet-modification-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}