ATR inaugurates main maintenance base at Toulouse-Francazal airport
to the benefit of its 200 customers across five continents
Toulouse, 4 July 2016 – ATR today inaugurated its new aeronautical maintenance site in the presence of local officials. ATR’s application was approved by OSAC, the French body for civil aviation safety, which awarded it with a certificate of accreditation as a maintenance organisation*. This certification gives ATR the go-ahead to conduct maintenance activities at this site.
ATR decided to invest substantially in Toulouse-Francazal airport in order to secure high-quality facilities over the long-term. These facilities will provide employees and customers with excellent working conditions while complying with aeronautical regulations.
The new site amalgamates ATR’s Part 145 maintenance activities for all of its customers worldwide, i.e. maintenance, servicing and repairs plus related training activities. It will also be possible to conduct Part 147 on-the-job training activities (maintenance, servicing and repairs) for airline technicians. Qualified ATR teams based at the site will provide services to operators, either in the form of major maintenance work in coordination with the design offices, or via secondments to the customer. Last but not least, our ‘prototype’ activities will also be based at Francazal. Our two prototypes – ATR 42-600 and ATR 72-600 – will be prepared for testing and analysing new technologies.
“Technicians from around the world will come to train at Toulouse-Francazal airport thanks to these Part 145 and 147 certifications. For ATR, this new facility was vital for supporting our growth. We can provide our customers with quality services, while at the same time continuously improving the operational reliability of our aircraft!” explains Patrick de Castelbajac, ATR CEO.
He added: “We are extremely proud of this new foothold in the Toulouse region, which is yet further proof of the success of our 35-year-long partnership.”
ATR redeveloped its manufacturing facilities in record time. The hangar, which can accommodate two aircraft, required a total overhaul and adaptation to its new activities. Needless to say, everything possible was done to preserve the historic architecture of this structure built in 1934. ATR has now launched the construction of a 1,200 m² building able to accommodate up to 80 people.
*NB: The certificate of accreditation as a maintenance organisation* is delivered in accordance with the European Parliament’s (EC) regulation n°216/2008 and the (EU) regulation n°1321/2014 from the commission currently in operation.
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About ATR
ATR is the world number one regional aircraft manufacturer with its ATR 42 and 72 aircraft the best-selling aircraft in the less than 90-seat market segment. The unifying vision of the company’s employees is to help everyone, no matter where they are in the world, to connect and develop in a responsible manner. Thanks to the efficiency of turboprop technology and the benefits of the company’s focus on continuous innovation, ATR aircraft open over 130 new routes every year on average, burn 45% less fuel and emit 45% less CO2 than regional jets. For all of these reasons, ATR aircraft have been chosen by some 200 companies in 100 countries around the world. ATR is a joint-venture between Airbus and Leonardo.