Both local and Western companies are enjoying a strong market for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services in the Middle East, due to increased airline activity and military aircraft fleets. For instance, Air France Industries-KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI-KLM E&M) is considering the launch of a joint venture with a Middle Eastern carrier, and local MROs, such as Joramco (Stand E816) and Alsalam Aircraft (Stand C706), are boosting their workforces to meet rising demand.
At AFI-KLM E&M, Fouad Benbrahim, sales manager for Africa and the Middle East, estimated that the market for aviation maintenance in the region is worth $1.6 billion per year. While this could look like a small portion of the global $40 billion market, it is growing at a much swifter pace–9.2 percent per year, more than twice the global average. “Over the 2006-2011 period, it is the fastest growing region,” Benbrahim told AIN.
