MANILA: The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has given regulatory approval to a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Malaysia, giving ATR aircraft operators the option to meet their MRO needs within the region, the Philippines News Agency (PNA) reported.
CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio confirmed that an Approved Maintenance Organisation (AMO) certification was given to Aircraft Propeller Services (APS), a facility that provides services for Collins Aerospace 568F propeller systems used on ATR aircraft.
"An MRO organisation must be certified/approved by the CAAP if it wants to legally perform aircraft maintenance work for Philippine-registered aircraft or operators under Philippine aviation regulations," he told PNA on Monday (Feb 2).
In a news release, APS Malaysia said it is the only MRO facility for 568F propeller systems in Asia-Pacific licensed by the original equipment manufacturer.
"The new certification further strengthens its position as a trusted regional hub for propeller and component MRO, supporting markets that rely heavily on ATR turboprop aircraft due to challenging terrain and airport conditions," it said.
"Airlines in the Philippines previously had to ship their propellers to North America or Europe for repairs and overhaul. Keeping the propellers in region, by sending them to our Malaysia facility, reduces turnaround times, simplifies logistics and improves fleet availability,” APS Asia Pacific Managing Director Fergus Lopez said.
There are over 20 ATR fleet servicing domestic routes in the Philippines. - Bernama
