Maintenance and Modifications
Mideast Airlines Commiserate Over MRO Costs
Sand ingestion can cause a host of engine ills, such as a circumferential crack in a combustion chamber.
Sand ingestion can cause a host of engine ills, such as a circumferential crack in a combustion chamber.

Sudden sandstorms in the Middle East’s deserts are just one of the problems complicating the task of the region’s maintenance providers. At the recent MRO Middle East conference in Dubai, delegates heard that airlines often need to delay or even cancel departures on short notice due to unforeseen maintenance needs caused by sand and dust. Engines, bleed-air systems and air-conditioning packs are especially vulnerable to the region’s hot and unpredictable conditions.