S7 Technics wins approval for Boeing 737MAX maintenance

S7 Airlines, Russia’s launch operator of the type, took delivery of its first MAX earlier this month (Svetlana Balayeva)

S7 Technics Holding’s Novosibirsk site is the first in Russia to win approval for the provision of maintenance works (up to the equivalent of A-checks) on the new-generation Boeing 737MAX-8/9 aircraft. Earlier this month, S7 Airlines, Russia’s launch operator of the type, took delivery of its first MAX straight from the Boeing production facility in Seattle.

S7 Technics’ team members have been endorsed to provide Boeing 737MAX maintenance having completed a theoretical course as well as hands-on, on-site training at Boeing’s Seattle facility. They have also gained access to all technical documentation for the new type.

In preparation for launching its Boeing 737МАХ capabilities, the Russian maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) provider, country’s biggest, purchased all necessary equipment and tools, spare parts and components in compliance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

The 737MAX fleet in Russia is poised for significant growth. A number of local airlines have already voiced their intentions to add the aircraft to their fleets prompting S7 Technics to proactively gear up and develop the MRO market for the type in Russian and the CIS. “As the number of the most modern Boeing narrow-body aircraft in the region grows, we will continue to extend our offering for maintenance services on the Boeing 737 МАХ aircraft to all of its operators. At the moment we view this market segment as a promising one,” comments Sergey Kravchenko, S7 Technics’ regional sales director.

The Boeing 737MAX is the ninth aircraft type on S7 Technics’ MRO capability list, which also includes the Airbus 320neo, the newest iteration of the Airbus narrow-body family. In the period from January to September 2018, S7 Technics’ Novosibirsk base completed 30 A-checks on Airbus A320neo family aircraft.