AAR’S MRO IN LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA RECEIVES EASA CERTIFICATION
AAR’s aircraft maintenance operation in Lake Charles has received certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to work on European aircraft. It’s the latest milestone for the facility, which opened in September and specializes in wide-body aircraft.
The Lake Charles repair station previously handled European aircraft under a short-term approval granted through AAR’s EASA-certified maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Miami. The EASA certification, numbered “145.6537” and received February 3, is unique to the Lake Charles site. The facility received its FAA certification for domestic aircraft in November.
“This is another major step forward for our Lake Charles repair station, and it speaks to the hard work of the team there to keep the facility progressing,” says Danny Martinez, general manager, Lake Charles, AAR Aircraft Services. “Combined with the FAA certification, the EASA designation helps clear the path for us to work on a multitude of aircraft and positions us to continue to ramp up.”
The Lake Charles MRO, one of six that AAR operates in North America, provides a wide range of services, from scheduled maintenance and structural repairs to re-engineering aircraft interiors. AAR occupies five hangers at the site for a total of 460,000 square feet of space to accommodate a variety of wide-body aircraft. Construction of an additional 111,000-square-foot hangar is scheduled for completion this summer.
The repair center operates as part of AAR’s nationwide 1MRO Network, which also includes facilities in Indianapolis, Miami, Oklahoma City, Duluth, MN, and Hot Springs, AR. AAR’s 1MRO approach provides customers with access to integrated repair, engineering, IT, parts services and increased flexibility from multiple locations throughout the country. Additionally, airframe parts used to perform the work in Lake Charles are sourced through AAR’s Aviation Supply Chain business. AAR is the No. 1 provider of MRO services in North America and one of the top three in the world, according to industry rankings.