Saudia Aerospace Engineering Industries (SAEI) will maintain 131-9 auxiliary power units (APUs) for Boeing 737 NG and Airbus A320 narrowbody airliners for manufacturer Honeywell. Under an agreement signed at the Dubai Airshow on November 14, the maintenance, repair, and overhaul of Saudi Arabian Airlines has become the first authorized Honeywell service center in the Middle East with a global license to support the APUs.
Under the 10-year agreement, SAEI will provide inspection, repair, and overhaul of the 131-9 APUs from its facility in Jeddah. This will save Middle East airlines the cost and expense associated with sending them to facilities outside the region.
“The collaboration between SAEI and Honeywell to provide authorized service in Saudi Arabia will be hailed by aircraft owners and operators in the Middle East and North Africa region as a promising development,” said Saudi Arabian Airlines director-general Ibrahim Alomar. “At Saudia, we are delighted that SAEI has taken the lead in bringing the advanced technology and know-how to Saudi Arabia, enabling easier and faster access to the repair and overhaul of APUs in the region. We hope the move will be considered a huge leap in the Kingdom’s drive to increase local content in line with Vision 2030 goals.
SAEI has been working with Honeywell since 2013. According to Mohammed Mohaisen, the U.S. manufacturer’s president and CEO for the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey, and Central Asia, the agreement is evidence of its commitment to localizing product support capability in Saudi Arabia.