Airbus has set up a 50-50 joint venture with Air France to support components for the A350, the planemaker said on Wednesday.

Airbus and Air France-KLM will jointly operate the new company, Alpha Component Solutions. It will manage a worldwide shared-access pool of aircraft components, and will provide maintenance services, supply chain management and repairs for A350 customers, according to the release.

The venture combines Airbus’s Flight Hours Services (FHS) with Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M). Airbus said it is meant to meet the growing long-term component maintenance needs of the global A350 fleet. It already has contracts to support more than 500 aircraft, the company said.

Anne Brachet, Executive Vice President of Air France-KLM Engineering & Maintenance, said “reliable access to components is essential to maintaining fleet availability” for A350 operators. She said AFI KLM E&M’s maintenance expertise and airline operating experience, combined with Airbus’s FHS capabilities, would give customers a broader support network and tailored solutions.

Cristina Aguilar Grieder, Airbus Senior Vice President Customer Services for Commercial Aircraft, described the venture as a major step in strengthening A350 component support. She said it brings together the resources of both partners to offer optimised solutions to customers worldwide.

Airbus said the venture aims to raise component reliability, streamline lifecycle maintenance and provide tailored support.

The release did not give financial terms, the venture’s headquarters or its start date.

Source: PR