Single Roof : bolster competitiveness of Group’s maintenance operations

This September 13 marked the inauguration of the Single Roof project’s “Concorde” facility, a new integrated undertaking poised to broaden the scope of the Air France–KLM Group’s maintenance arm and further strengthen its leadership role in the sector. Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance constitutes one the Group’s three core activities, alongside passenger transport and cargo transport.

Air France–KLM has long been massively investing on developing its technical and human capital, not solely for the benefit of the Group’s airlines but for third-party clients as well. Today, Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) is the second-leading multiproduct MRO (maintenance, repair, overhaul) provider in the world.

The result of a €30 million investment – maintained despite the advent and repercussions of the Covid 19 pandemic – this new facility will elevate the Group’s competitiveness to another level and help it entrench itself over the long term as one of the top MRO players on the planet.

Delivered on March 6, the facility introduces disruptive innovations and organizational changes rendered necessary by advancements in next-generation engines, like the Pratt & Whitney PW1000G used on Airbus A220s, now so instrumental to the Group’s voluntary decarbonization strategy.

The project, whose first stone was laid in November 2021, houses numerous major developments:

• The new facility rallies all of the platform’s engine operations under one roof, making possible new processes that prevent breaches in productivity.
• It allows for new procedures and a flatter organization, which AFI KLM E&M expects will cut turnarounds for engines and external clients by 15% -- a competitive asset that will prove indispensable for the years to come.
• The project also features improved task allocations and workflows, with changes to work rates and scheduling benefitting 400+ operators. This massive revamp was made possible thanks to a collaborative process adhered to throughout the project which the teams bought into overwhelmingly.

This project represents a huge investment in AFI KLM E&M’s operations and opens the way for a new era in MRO services and practices: increasingly tailored to the next-generation engines that are most innovative, most efficient, and most aligned with client expectations, and doing it all while also cutting capital costs. It is an initiative that further solidifies the Group’s leadership in this sector.