Grupo Avianca-TACA selects Barfield as its A320 component services partner

Dubai, MRO Middle East, 31st January 2011

Avianca-TACA has awarded Barfield, a Sabena technics company, a 10-year support contract to provide component support for their Airbus A320 fleet to better support the group’s four airlines: Avianca, TACA, Aerogal and Ocean Air. Barfield will also open repair facilities in Colombia.

This important contract for Barfield is the fruit of Sabena technics’ service-driven MRO approach. As well as providing test, repair & overhaul of rotable components including avionics, hydraulic, air conditioned, instrument, IFE and Engine LRU the group equally responded to its customer’s needs by proposing to set up repair facilities in Bogotá.

The services are provided for a fleet of 60 A320 family aircraft, which could eventually over the following two years reach a fleet nearing 100 aircraft. Barfield’s MRO support also includes an option to provide logistics in Miami, Florida as well as the supply of consumable items.

With regards to the repair facilities, Barfield is setting up specific repair capabilities in Bogota, Colombia to better support Grupo Avianca-TACA’s airlines as well as operators in Southern America.

« This contract is a milestone for Barfield and for Sabena technics Group in the region. We are proud of the trust Avianca-TACA has extended to our group and will do our utmost to ensure that our customer’s operations near perfection. » said Christophe Bernardini, Sabena technics’ Chief Executive Officer.

« Indeed, this contract truly results from the excellent relationship between both companies, which has been developed over the last ten years of support already provided to TACA’s operations » said Frederic Denise, Barfield’s Chief Operating Officer.

« We are very pleased to have signed with Barfield, which we recognize as an excellent service provider. Through the experience of working together for several years, they have demonstrated expertise in their work and knowledge of our needs. Now, they have presented a comprehensive proposal for this new stage of our organization and we know they are professionally committed to accompany us towards our set operational goals, » said Fabio Villegas, CEO Avianca-TACA.

About Barfield (www.barfieldinc.com)

Barfield today consists of 250 employees across its US facilities in Miami, Phoenix and Louisville with a total turnover of $65 million. Its core businesses can be regrouped as follows: component repair & overhaul, airline programs, rotables & distribution and Ground Support Test Equipment (GSTE). Barfield is an authorized repair facility for more than 30 European original equipment manufacturers and major U.S. original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Barfield’s repair and overhaul capabilities include crew seats, radio equipment, oxygen equipment and accessories for Airbus and Boeing airliners, regional and business aircraft, and helicopters.

About Sabena technics (www.sabenatechnics.com)

Founded in 1968, Sabena technics is a leading independent MRO (maintenance, repair & overhaul) provider of maintenance services to civil and military aircraft operators. The group operates under the brands Sabena technics, Sabena technics training, Barfield and equally benefits from a joint venture specialized in hydraulic repair named Hydrep. Our group employs over 3,000 persons across its 15 sites worldwide. Our services are organized into five major activities: Airframe services (which includes the activity Business aviation, by Sabena technics), Component services, Integrated services, Military services and Training services, based on the basic principle of meeting our customers’ requirements.

About Avianca (www.avianca.com)

AVIANCA operates routes to 21 cities in Colombia, 5 cities in the United States, and 21 cities in other countries including South America and Europe, for a total of 47 destinations. AVIANCA’s principal routes between Colombia and the United States include nonstop services between Bogotá and Miami, Washington, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles and New York City, as well as direct flights from other main cities in Colombia. AVIANCA’s fleet currently consists of: one (1) Boeing 767-300ER, two (2) Boeing 767-200ERs, three (3) McDonnell Douglas MD-83s, ten (10) Fokker 50s, eighteen (18) Airbus A320, five (5) Airbus A319, five (5) Airbus A330 and fifteen (15) Fokker 100s. In addition, AVIANCA has orders and is in the process of incorporating additional aircraft to its fleet.

About TACA (www.taca.com)

TACA Airlines has united the American continent through its three hubs (El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Peru) and a wide route network that serves from Canada to Brazil, 42 destinations distributed in 22 countries. Its fleet is composed of Airbus 319, 320, and 321 aircrafts and new Embraer E190. TACA has been recognized twice consecutively by Skytrax, one of the most respected world-wide passenger airline surveys, as the Best Airline for Central America, and the Caribbean and for its Service Excellence. Forming a new holding company alongside Avianca made a leading group of airlines in Latin America, serving over 100 destinations.