China Eastern Airlines Performs First A340 OverhaulThe Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines recently performed a 4C overhaul of an Airbus 340 passenger aircraft.The A340, a long-range passenger plane known for enhanced endurance and comfort, requires a 4C overhaul after five calendar years or 14,000 hours of flying. China Eastern Airlines has imported five A340s since 1996, some of which need imminent 4C overhaul. "Such services were previously not available in China, but it is extremely expensive to have all the A340s overhauled overseas," said a source from the company. The company, which boasts a strong maintenance capacity for wide-body passenger aircraft, decided last year that it would carry out independent overhauls for A340, so as to cut maintenance costs and serve its long-term development. In the past ten months, the company modified some facilities and sent its maintenance staff to France for training. To date, 86 of its maintenance engineers have been licensed for A340 overhauls. With a fleet of over 60 aircraft, China Eastern Airlines started independent aircraft maintenance in 1993 and has improved its maintenance capacity and enhanced competitiveness through exchanges and cooperation with overseas partners in recent years. |
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