Korean Air and Asiana Airlines have joined hands for bilateral cooperation in engine maintenance.
On May 12, Korean Air signed a maintenance contract for 22 Pratt & Whitney PW4090 engines worth $260 million at Asiana Airlines headquarters in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, attended by officials from both companies, including Lee Soo-geun, vice president of Korean Air Operation, and Jin Jong-sup, head of Asiana Strategic Planning.
The move came as Korean Air was selected as the final operator in a new bid conducted by Asiana Airlines, which had been in charge of engine maintenance for more than two decades.
This is the largest maintenance contract between domestic airlines. Korean Air will be in charge of maintenance of 22 PW4090 engines of Asiana Airlines for the next five years from this month based on its engine maintenance plant in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province.
Korean Air's engine maintenance includes overhaul maintenance, which must be performed after a certain period of use, and repairs in the event of a failure.
This contract between Korean Air and Asiana Airlines is meaningful in terms of ▲ development of the national maintenance, repairs and operation (MRO) industry based on cooperation and promotion of technology ▲ prevention of foreign currency outflow ▲ expansion of employment stability.
Korean Air will form a technical consultative body between the two companies while carrying out Asiana Airlines' PW4090 engine maintenance to partner and cooperate in engine operation and maintenance.
Based on this mutual cooperation between the two companies, it will contribute to the development of related industries by increasing competitiveness of MRO in Korea. It will also contribute to the prevention of foreign currency outflow and increase job security by converting the PW4090 engine maintenance, which has been dependent on overseas maintenance for the past 20 years, to Korea.
Through Asiana Airlines' engine maintenance and technology alliance cooperation, Korean Air will continue to find tasks that can win-win the two companies with various technologies, including aircraft maintenance, as well as engine development of various models.
