PH aviation service provider plans regional expansion

Dornier Technology, a local aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services provider, is on the hunt for more clients across the Asia-Pacific region amid the resurgence of air travel.

Joseph Espiritu, Dornier chief operating officer, said they have been in discussions with airlines in Papua New Guinea and the rest of the region to take advantage of the increasing demand for MRO services.

“There are a lot of ongoing negotiations right now. For a long time already, we have been preparing for the postpandemic recovery, and of course, we are expecting the further surge in the MRO requirement,” he said.

“Just now, we’ve been seeing a lot of increase in the volume of works that we are receiving and also in the customer inquiry,” he added.

Reaching out to foreign airlines is part of Dornier’s strategy to go global after establishing its local footprint, according to Espiritu.

Last month, the company announced that it had bagged contracts for line maintenance with Korean low-cost carriers Air Busan, Air Seoul and Jeju Air, which have resumed flights to and from the Philippines.

Espiritu previously said that the Philippines, being a “popular leisure destination in close proximity to peninsula Korea,” was a crucial market for the Korean airlines.

He said these carriers were mostly using short-haul narrow-body aircraft for their flights to the country given its proximity to Korea.

Dornier currently has nine line maintenance stations across Bohol, Caticlan, Cebu, Clark, Davao, Iloilo, Kalibo, Manila and Puerto Princesa.

“By the end of this year, we are targeting to add another line maintenance station to cater to the requirement of our domestic customers,” he said.

Through its partnership with TransNational Aviation Support Services Inc., a local ground handling company, Espiritu said they were eyeing to have 15 domestic locations by 2025.

“We have a very good outlook for the industry for the rest of 2022 and by next year,” Espiritu concluded.