Malaysia Airlines defends engineering reputation

Malaysia Airlines Engineering and Maintenance (E&M) has fought back against alleged reports blaming it for a recent spate of Qantas aircraft engineering incidents which were handled by the organisation.

Malaysia Airlines E&M has released a statement advising of its standing, saying it is a certified approved organisation by 31 national aviation authorities including the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and the U.S Federal Aviation Administration.

“Malaysia Airlines E&M has an impeccable track record, with over 80 customers including; Lufthansa, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Jet Airways and GECAS, one of the world’s largest fleet owners and lessors,” the company said in a statement released on Monday.

“For Qantas, Malaysia Airlines E&M only handles heavy maintenance work for its B737-400 aircraft. To date, Malaysia Airlines E&M have only done heavy maintenance for one aircraft, registered as VH-TJU.”

The statement comes after media speculated that a Qantas Boeing 747-400 incident causing an emergency landing was related to the airline’s decision to outsource aircraft maintenance to Malaysia.

“The pilot's allegations were totally baseless. Qantas has confirmed that the aircraft was maintained in Australia, and is totally unrelated to Malaysia Airlines,” Malaysia Airlines Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer, Mr Idris Jala said.

Another incident which involved a Qantas Boeing737-400 jet being grounded in Melbourne due to an air-conditioning fault was also linked to Malaysia, after news reports claimed there were 95 defects founds on the plane after maintenance by Malaysia Airlines E&M.

“Qantas has stated that the air conditioning fault on the aircraft is unrelated to heavy maintenance checks done in Malaysia,” Mr Jala said.

“Regarding the heavy maintenance work for VH-TJU, there is no basis to the “so-called 95 defects” quoted by the media

“The maintenance in Malaysia was done with the oversight of Qantas personnel. A total of 12 Qantas Engineering personnel were positioned at Malaysia Airlines E&M to provide technical oversight. In the course of the maintenance, defects were found and all these were rectified. After approvals by Qantas personnel, the aircraft flew back to Australia.”

“As for the case of a Qantas flight attendant experiencing a static/mild electric shock, we have investigated and identified the root cause of the issue. Although it is not possible to ascertain if the defect originated from the work at Malaysia Airlines E&M, this will be monitored for future similar work, to eliminate such instances from recurring.”

Regarding future maintenance in Malaysia, Mr Jala said Qantas has decided to only send ‘overflow’ heavy maintenance work overseas, and their decision not to send 2 of its 737-400 planes was due to space available at their work facility in Melbourne.

“The decision has nothing to do with the media reports claiming that the first aircraft we maintained in Malaysia returned with a “string of defects” as these claims are totally unsubstantiated,” Mr Jala said.

“Malaysia Airlines E&M has 35 years of MRO experience, and is a certified approved MRO organization by 31 National Aviation Authorities. We are a highly sought after MRO provider with an excellent track record.”

FMI: e-Travel Blackboard