Avincis Expands Maintenance Facilities in Portugal
Avincis expands its maintenance facilities in Portugal.
Avincis has chosen Lisbon in Portugal, as the location for major maintenance work on one of its Italian-based helicopters. The Italian registered helicopter arrived in Lisbon from Italy and will receive a complete overhaul from the Portuguese technical team.
With this project, Avincis continues to invest in the country and strengthens its helicopter maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) base in Loures, Lisbon, after establishing the Portuguese capital as the home for its global corporate headquarters in 2023.
The company expects to create more work and give more long-term job security to its Portuguese workforce with this initiative. Until now, Avincis in Lisbon has only worked on helicopters from its Portuguese and Spanish fleets. For example, the Spanish firefighting fleet of 10 aircraft is maintained here over the winter months.
The Leonardo AW139 helicopter provides emergency medical services (EMS) as well as search and rescue (SAR) services from Lake Como in Italy, will remain in Lisbon for about 10 weeks while the two-yearly inspection is carried out. This operation will be conducted by around 10 engineers, technicians and support staff who will work on this aircraft exclusively until the inspection is complete.
Over the past three years, around three dozen of helicopters were maintained, repaired or overhauled at the Lisbon base.
John Boag, CEO, Avincis Group said: “The project strengthens the investment made in developing Lisbon into a centre of excellence for maintenance and training. Portugal is the right location for us, geographically and in terms of available talent in the labour market.”
The company has already created 10 new technical jobs in the last year, “Highly specialised labour, which we want to maintain and increase,” Boag added.
“Mobilising aircraft between the countries in which Avincis has operations is not only a rational decision to make efficiency gains where they exist, but also a demonstration of the size, capacity and resources of the company as a group, factors that distinguish us from other operators in the different markets,” concludes John Boag.
The company has already created 10 new technical jobs in the last year, “Highly specialised labour, which we want to maintain and increase,” Boag added.
Avincis employs about 100 people in Portugal, providing helicopter emergency medical service for the National Institute for Medical Emergencies with four aircraft, and aerial firefighting with both fixed and rotary wing aircraft at the service of the National Civil Protection Authority, including two Canadair fire-fighting fixed-wing aircraft.
Meanwhile in September, Avincis won a five-year contract extension for maritime SAR missions from the Spanish government. The new contract, valued at €305m ($337m), follows a 30-year partnership with the country’s Maritime Safety and Rescue Society.
