Spairliners, a joint venture between Air France and Lufthansa Technik AG, has commenced fully integrated component support for the Airbus A380 fleet of Lufthansa. Along with existing customers Qantas Airways and Air France, Spairliners will provide the German airline with comprehensive component services, which include the overhaul and repair of components as well as management of the spare parts inventory, along with the associated logistics. The service agreement covers over 900 components held in readiness in the Spairliners main warehouse at Paris-Charles De Gaulle airport and a second storage location at Frankfurt airport.

This is the first time Lufthansa has sub-contracted its aircraft component support business. Like the majority of A380 operators, Lufthansa starts with a fairly small fleet size. Therefore, taking parts availability as well as cost savings into consideration, the Spairliners component pool concept is a far better alternative for the airline compared to building up its own A380 component inventory.

The long-term contract covers all 15 widebody aircraft ordered by Lufthansa. Currently Spairliners supports ten A380 aircraft, with a total of 47 A380 aircraft under exclusive long-term contract. “We have successfully gathered first operational experience with worldwide A380 component support over the last one and a half years. Lufthansa profits from this know-how and is ensured global availability of components – like all our pool members“, said Jean-Luc Fattelay, Chief Executive Officer of Spairliners. Through Spairliners, three major airlines Qantas, Air France and now Lufthansa cooperate to ensure optimal A380 component support that meets the well-known expectations of the operators. Andre Schulte-Bisping, Chief Financial Officer, added: “By sharing spares investments, Spairliners A380 customers benefit from economies of scale and reduced lead times for parts deliveries, due to greater inventory and numerous stock locations.”

Spairliners A380 customers are served through an efficient spare parts supply network via Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport. The repair and overhaul of spare parts is performed at Air France Industries’ facility E.O.L.E near Paris-Orly and Lufthansa Technik’s component workshops in Hamburg.

Source: Lufthansa Technik’s