Turkish Technic: as the provider of maintenance, repair and overhaul operations primarily to Turkish Airlines fleet in its existing facilities at Istanbul Ataturk International Airport, is also providing services to various customer airlines from Turkey and surrounding countries.

The years of experience earned within the existing technical facilities, combined with the developed and well-qualified labor force, the strategic location and the increasing market demand has pushed Turkish Technic to setup a new MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) facility. The new facility will be located at the Sabiha Gökçen International Airport, on area reserved for the setup of an international MRO center, which is around 70 km’s away from the existing facilities located at Istanbul Atatürk International Airport, Yesilköy. The geostrategic location of the new facility will enable the new maintenance center to reach to European, Asian, North African and Middle Eastern MRO markets, as well as the Turkish market.

The new international maintenance, repair and overhaul center project and all the investments by Turkish Technic within Sabiha Gökçen International Airport are named as HABOM Project (Havacılık Bakım Onarım ve Modifikasyon Merkezi – in English language Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul Center).

Construction Pictures

HABOM Project

During the establishment of the business plan for the HABOM Project investment, Turkish Technic project team has worked together with the worldwide known consulting firms and established a feasibility study to assess the various opportunities, market demand and required investments to meet those demand for the establishment of this new international MRO center. As a result of these studies the new international maintenance center is decided to be a center to be a full service provider for both narrow body and wide body aircraft, by doing heavy maintenance, engine and components maintenance. Maintenance center will be established as a center-of-excellence having full capacity for some specific types of aircraft for which the projections indicate quick fleet growth and increasing outsourcing rates.

The estimated total investment requirement for the airframe and component maintenance centers on the whole is around US$ 500 million. By the year 2020, HABOM is estimated to generate a US$ 1 billion share from airframe and component maintenance segments. Turkish Technic will be the permanent shareholder of the HABOM Project. Besides that Turkish Technic is aiming to establish these new investments as an international joint venture with the participation of a leading global company or companies. With the making of this new investment, Istanbul will be the maintenance hub of the region within a short time period.

Airframe maintenance center facilities at Sabiha Gökçen International Airport will have a total 372.000 m2 area. There will approximately 3.500 employees will be within all the maintenance, repair and overhaul centers which will be established within the HABOM Project.

All the facilities that will be constructed within the scope of HABOM Project are environmentally friendly designs which will provide maximum energy savings to protect our world.
  

As a part of Turkish Technic’s pursuits to establish international joint ventures, potential partners which are leaders and global players in their segment and which will bring technology and knowhow are evaluated. As a result a joint venture agreement is signed with Pratt & Whitney company on 8 January 2008. Pratt & Whitney is one of the most important OEMs in the engine segment and a strong player in the engine aftermarket.

Besides, a Memorandum of Understanding is signed with Goodrich Aerostructures on 8 November 2007 to establish a joint venture company on nacelle and thrust reverser maintenance, repair and overhaul segment. Goodrich Aerostructures is the leading OEM in its segment. Negotiations on the joint venture agreement with Goodrich Aerostructures are still going on.

Considering the growth trend in the Turkish aviation industry, and the fast growing fleet of the other airlines, the total aircraft number within Turkey is estimated to be over 300 within a short time period. Adding the highly increasing aircraft numbers of the surrounding region leads up to the idea of establishing a completely new maintenance center at the heart of these emerging markets.

 
HABOM Project, as newly established and a totally customer oriented maintenance center will aim to serve the aircraft belonging to various surrounding countries. There is one unique identity of HABOM Project area is that, a circle drawn with a radius of 3-hours flight distance centered at Istanbul includes 55 countries. This by itself ensures the big opportunities for doing MRO business at the HABOM Project area with the establishment of a Greenfield facility.

 
For more information, contact info:
Turkish Airlines Technic Inc.
Sales and Marketing Directorate
Strategy Planning and Projects Department
Ataturk Airport, B Gate
34149 Yesilkoy - Istanbul / TURKEY
E-mail: habom@thy.com