Story ID: 
Bombardier Continues To Expand International Support
By: David A. Lombardo
Caption: Bombardier has scheduled five regional maintenance and operations conferences for this year.
Word Count: 376
Bombardier has scheduled five regional maintenance and operations conferences for this year. The Canadian OEM has a 20-year tradition of holding large M&O conferences in North America for Learjet, Challenger and Global operators. This year it is expanding its outreach program to include two-day regional M&O conferences in Hong Kong (April 13 to 15), Amsterdam (September 21 to 23) and Atlanta (October 18 to 20). There will also be one-day briefings in Dubai and Mumbai, with dates to be announced in the near future. The next regularly scheduled, large biennial M&O conference will be held in Chicago (April 12 to 14, 2011). 
“The decision to expand our M&O conference schedule internationally this year is part of our effort to bring our support closer to our customers,” Andy Nureddin, vice president for customer services and support, told AIN. “These regional M&Os will enable our international customer base to interact directly with our subject-matter experts, giving us a clearer understanding of their unique needs so we can better serve and support them.”
Bombardier specialists and engineers will be bringing up-to-date technical and operational information to the operators. “What we’re trying to do is ensure our customers are well informed and supported no matter where their aircraft is based,” he said. 
The regional conferences will feature approximately 25 hours of maintenance and operations sessions aimed at improving reliability, safety and dispatch availability of their aircraft. Topics will range from technical and regulatory updates and best practices to the latest customer service and engineering support initiatives. 
For approximately the last three years Bombardier has steadily increased its services and support internationally to meet a growing customer base abroad. Bombardier will inaugurate its first wholly owned European aircraft service center at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands this spring with the goal of increasing its European maintenance support for more than 550 Learjet, Challenger and Global operators in the region. Last year the company extended its PartsExpress airborne parts delivery service into Europe and introduced a mobile response team serving Europe and the Middle East. Bombardier now has 42 authorized service facilities and line maintenance facilities in 21 countries around the world, as well as business aircraft simulators in Dubai and the UK.