Embraer inks deal with SIAEP

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By Ashley Manabat

CLARK FREEPORT – Embraer, the third largest commercial aircraft manufacturer in the world has signed an agreement with SIA Engineering Philippines (SIAEP) as its authorized service center in the Asia-Pacific region.

Embraer is a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, executive and agricultural aircraft and provides aeronautical services.

SIAEP, based at A. Bonifacio Street here, is a joint venture of SIA Engineering Corporation and Cebu Pacific Air that performs primarily Base Maintenance and Line Maintenance, with 12 air-worthiness approvals.

The deal makes SIAEP as the only Embraer service center in the entire Asia-Pacifi c region.

Rene Banzon, SIAEP manager, announce the deal on Tuesday at the media forum “News@Hues” organized by the Pampanga Press Club in cooperation with Park Inn Hotel by Radisson at the SM City Clark complex here.

Banzon said there is also an Embraer service center in China but it caters mostly to Chinese Embraer aircraft.

He said no domestic carrier has a similar aircraft in the Philippines but there are about 150 Embraer aircraft from different airlines in the Asia-Pacific region. “So that’s what we’re targeting,” he said.

Banzon said an airline from Australia is coming in two months and two more are expected to arrive after.

Banzon said SIAEP has three hangars that have five phases which technically mean that you can put five aircrafts in the hangars but they can also park outside.

Last February, Banzon said, they had their hands full handling 14 aircrafts at the same time.

Banzon said with the contract with Embraer, they have increased their capability by training some of their personnel in Brazil and have purchased new equipment.

Meanwhile, Banzon disclosed that “there were no formal arrangements done with SIAEP for the coming ASEAN Summit in November but it was mentioned in passing that we should be prepared because our line maintenance which handles turnaround aircrafts can also handle all sorts of aircrafts.

Banzon said SIAEP is also capable of handling Airbus and Boeing aircrafts with its close to 500 employees.

He said SIAEP handles majority of the airlines flying into the Clark airport which can be classified into five different types of Boeing and several types of airbus.

Banzon said for base maintenance SIAEP is handling A320s, A330s among others and their base load customers are Cebu Pacific, Philippines Air Asia, Tiger Airways Singapore and Australia and Silk Air which is a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines.

“SIAEP is also handling lessor aircrafts as well as airlines from Myanmar and even a Russian aircraft where we did the checks, registration and painting before it was fl own and delivered to its new owner in Russia,” he said.