Kenya Airways MRO Performs First Boeing 787 D-Check

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Kenya Airways MRO and South African Airways Technical (SAAT) have recently disclosed business progress, indicating that African aviation maintenance providers are continuously enhancing their capabilities to meet the increasingly complex maintenance demands in the region.

Kenya Airways MRO confirmed at the African Airlines Association MRO Conference that it is completing its first Boeing 787 D-check, marking the highest level of maintenance inspection for a wide-body aircraft conducted by the facility for the first time. This development adds a new maintenance option for 787 operators in the region, backed by years of preparation and internal capacity building. Vijay Singh, Head of Capability Development and MRO Sales at Kenya Airways, stated that the organization is focused on expanding internal maintenance capabilities and has made progress in obtaining additional civil aviation approvals in several African countries, including Mozambique, Nigeria, and Central African nations. He emphasized that the broader goal is to ensure on-site maintenance solutions are available when operators need them.

In addition to 787 operations, Kenya Airways MRO is also enhancing C-check capabilities for the Boeing 767 and 777 to support both its internal fleet and third-party needs. Singh noted that the company is working to extend the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Part 145 approval in Nairobi more broadly across its operational scope.

South African Airways Technical (SAAT) provided an update on its operational trajectory. Acting CEO Moosa Desai stated that South African Airways' fleet has grown from six aircraft at restart to 19, forming a significant portion of SAAT's workload. During the recovery period, SAAT maintained a mix of internal and third-party maintenance work, supporting multiple African airlines. Desai described the growth as steady and measured, with SAAT cautiously increasing capacity to avoid overexpansion while continuing to fill available maintenance slots with third-party work. These developments show that, despite ongoing challenges in workforce development and regulatory coordination, Africa's MRO capabilities to support local and regional operator maintenance needs are strengthening.