Created in 1968, Sabena technics is an independent MRO (maintenance, repair, and overhaul) provider offering services to civil and military aircraft operators.
History
1968: Founding of Touraine Air Transport by Michel Marchais
The air transport company Touraine Air Transport (TAT) was born in 1968 thanks to Michel Marchais (father of
Rodolphe Marchais), a pioneer in the developments which were to lead the way in the air transport sector. TAT was to become the first independent regional company in
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
. TAT let go of its airline company in 1996 to focus on industrial activities: aircraft maintenance (TAT Industries) and leasing of aircraft (TAT leasing) provided to third-party airlines.
[ ]
2000: TAT Industries acquires AOM Industries
The acquisition of the maintenance and engineering company AOM Industries, based in Nîmes and originally the maintenance department of the AOM airline, allows TAT Industries to develop its activities in airframe maintenance as well as its presence in the military sector.
2005: TAT Industries acquires Sabena technics
Sabena Technics, the maintenance department of the former
Belgian
Belgian may refer to:
* Something of, or related to, Belgium
* Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent
* Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German
*Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...
national airline, based in
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
and specialized in the maintenance of narrow and widebody aircraft, gives TAT Industries the opportunity to extend its offer, to develop its manufacturing base and to secure a strategic opening into central and northern
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
markets.
2007: The EADS Sogerma sites in Mérignac and in Tunisia as well as EADS Barfield join Sabena technics Group
Sogerma services, originally the MRO services provider at
EADS
Airbus SE (; ; ; ) is a European multinational aerospace corporation. Airbus designs, manufactures and sells civil and military aerospace products worldwide and manufactures aircraft throughout the world. The company has three divisions: '' ...
Sogerma and based in
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
, brings to the group a new structure capable of providing further support to both civil and military customers as well as an important design office and an entity dedicated to the training and certification of technicians working on all types of
Airbus
Airbus SE (; ; ; ) is a European Multinational corporation, multinational aerospace corporation. Airbus designs, manufactures and sells civil and military aerospace manufacturer, aerospace products worldwide and manufactures aircraft througho ...
.
Barfield, renamed “Barfield, a Sabena technics company,” based in
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
,
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
,
Louisville
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border.
...
and
Bogota, specializes in the maintenance and repair of components, customized global support packages, management and distribution of spare parts, and Ground Support Test Equipment. The acquisition of this company consolidates the presence of Sabena technics across the Atlantic. This pooling of expertise and resources allows an improved response to the requirements of airlines based in North and South America.
Sites
Sabena technics is present across 15 sites worldwide and its head office is based in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. The group also provides its customers with line maintenance operations at many other airports. This deployment is part of a key principle for the company, service proximity.
At
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
Airport, Sabena technics employs a workforce of more than 400 person. Here, airframe maintenance is carried out on narrow and wide-body aircraft, as well as component repair and overhaul. The
Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
site benefits from specialized component workshops and a logistics center. It equally houses the heavy maintenance facility of X-air services. In July 2014, Brussels site recover his independence under the name of Sabena Aerospace. Sabena name having a huge Belgian ancrage (Sabena meaning "Société Anonyme Belge d'Exploitation de Navigation Aérienne").
At Dinard-Pleurtuit-Saint-Malo airport, the facilities extend over a surface area of 35,000 m
2, with a workforce of 650. More specifically aimed at regional transport and narrow-body aircraft, these facilities include, in particular: three hangars which can accommodate up to 11 aircraft at the same time, and a painting hangar approved by Airbus, which can accommodate all aircraft up to the Boeing 757. This site also houses its JV (Hydrep) with Messier Services, in charge of regional and corporate aircraft and helicopter landing gear overhaul.
At Nîmes-Garons airport, Sabena technics has 20,000 m
2 facilities, with a workforce of over 400. Sabena technics also benefits from a site in
Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
(2,170 m
2) where follow-up services are carried out on all fire-fighting aircraft belonging to the French Civil Security (Tracker and Canadair) during the forest fire season. The activities in Nîmes are more focused on base maintenance of narrow and wide-body aircraft (including the B767/757 and the KC-135), as well as engineering. A main hangar, divided into three bays, can accommodate four large aircraft at once. It is in
Nîmes
Nîmes ( , ; oc, Nimes ; Latin: ''Nemausus'') is the prefecture of the Gard department in the Occitanie region of Southern France. Located between the Mediterranean Sea and Cévennes, the commune of Nîmes has an estimated population of 148,5 ...
that the heavy maintenance of the Canadair water bombers of the French Civil Security is carried out during winter time.
At Bordeaux-Mérignac airport, the group has maintenance capacities for all types of Airbus aircraft as well as military aircraft like the C-130. The airframe maintenance
activities are carried out within four hangars, which extend over 86,000 m
2 of technical facilities. Overhaul and repair services of components are provided by workshops specialized in avionics, electromechanics, mechanics, hydraulics, helicopter landing gear, air conditioning and fuel. All of these operational activities are supported by the company's own backshops such as sheet metal working, machining, surface treatment workshops and painting.
The sites in
Papeete
Papeete (Tahitian language, Tahitian: ''Papeete'', pronounced ) is the capital city of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of the France, French Republic in the Pacific Ocean. The Communes of France, commune of Papeete is located on the isl ...
and
Nouméa
Nouméa () is the capital and largest city of the French special collectivity of New Caledonia and is also the largest francophone city in Oceania. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, a ...
, which represent a total surface area of 4,800 m
2 and employ a workforce of 100, are dedicated to the management and maintenance of aircraft belonging to the French Ministry of Defence.
Sabena technics is also present in Monastir via its Nouvelair joint venture and in
Liège
Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège.
The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...
via its joint venture (X-air services) with TNT Airways.
References
{{Reflist
Aircraft ground handling companies