Following a visit to the Iberia Engine Department, Cargo Terminal and hangars in the Spanish capital last March, we had the opportunity to have an interview with the director of the Iberia Maintenance Engine Shop, Eylo Gonzalez Merino.
AVIACIONLINE: Which Iberia customers receive maintenance at La Muñoza?
EYLO GONZÁLEZ MERINO: Iberia maintenance services both the airlines of the IAG group (Iberia, Iberia Express, British Airways, Aer Lingus, Vueling and LEVEL), as well as the main airlines and MROs in the world. The proportion varies depending on the business being analyzed. Iberia Maintenance offers Engine and Component overhaul and Heavy and In-Line Maintenance services for aircraft.
In the engine maintenance workshop, Iberia Maintenance provides services to more than 100 companies (including airlines, OEMs and MROs) that do not belong to IAG. Seventy-five percent of the engine inductions correspond to third party companies and 25% to Group companies.
A: Which engines do you work with?
EGM: The Iberia Maintenance Engine Department works on engines for the short and medium-haul fleets, specifically the A320 family, although we also perform inductions on the Boeing 757 and B737.
It currently works on three types of engines: CFM56-5B/7B (A320 and B737), V2500 (A320) and RB211-535 (B757).
The company has been overhauling and repairing CFM56 engines since 1992. In addition, it is one of only four suppliers in Europe to be certified by Pratt & Whitney to maintain V2500 engines and is the world’s largest independent center servicing Rolls Royce RB211-535 engines.
A: What certifications does Iberia hold in relation to engine work?
EGM: Iberia Maintenance is certified by the main international aeronautical authorities such as EASA in Europe and the FAA in the United States, as well as numerous national authorities and aircraft manufacturers in the rest of the world, such as those of Mexico, China and India.
Iberia Maintenance also has the most important quality (ISO 9001, UNE EN 9110) and environmental certifications.
A: What are the steps when repairing an engine?
EGM: In the Engine Department we perform overhaul services, which is the deepest maintenance they can have. This process involves the 5,000 parts that make up an engine and consists of different phases:
- Disassembly of the engine
- Cleaning of all engine parts in order to perform a proper inspection.
- Inspection of the parts to detect the possible presence of cracks or defects that prevent them from being reassembled in the engine.
- Repair of the defects found in the parts. This repair is carried out at Iberia Maintenance facilities, although the company also has a worldwide network of repairers for those elements that are not in its capability.
- Kitting and preparation of parts for assembly
- Modular assembly of the engine, including balancing and grinding.
- Final engine assembly
- Bench testing and certification
A: When an engine arrives broken, how long can it be under repair?
EGM: The engines that arrive at Iberia Maintenance’s workshop do not necessarily have to be out of order; they usually come in for overhaul according to the times set by the manufacturers.
Our workshop processes are designed to provide a Turn Around Time (TAT) of 75 days for V2500 and 55 days for CFM56.
A: How often is it advisable to service the engines?
EGM: Engine overhauls are determined by the manufacturer’s manual, which takes into account both the level of utilization and the age of the engine. Assuming an average utilization, an engine overhaul usually occurs approximately every 6-8 years.
A: How many engines per year do you usually overhaul?
EGM: In 2021, the latest data available, Iberia Maintenance induced 134 engines due to the impact of the pandemic. This year the figure is estimated to rise to 150-170 inductions.
A: How many employees does Iberia have in the engine department? What are the certifications and/or elements required to work with Iberia?
EGM: Specifically, in the Engine Workshop we work 600 people and it has a surface area of 35,000 square meters. Most of the employees are Aeronautical Maintenance Technicians. The training required to perform this role begins with vocational training in aeromechanics, industrial mechanics or avionics.
In addition, Iberia Maintenance has a training center to obtain the necessary training for each engine fleet and for the type of process that takes place in these facilities.
COVID-19 pandemic:
A: How much did the COVID pandemic affect you?
EGM: The aviation industry faced unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Iberia Maintenance, the business to which the Engine Workshop belongs, has been profitable even during the most difficult times of the pandemic.
This shows the resilience of the business and the ability to adapt.
For example, although outside the Engine Shop, Iberia Maintenance specialized in the Parking & Storage service to be able to adapt to the needs of the airlines, as they reduced their flight schedules to a minimum due to the restrictions imposed on travel, with more than 100 aircraft parked at the La Muñoza Platform.
A: Did you suffer from the pandemic? Was there less work due to the drastic reduction of flights?
EGM: Compared to the airlines or the handling business, the maintenance business suffered less during the pandemic. In addition, the Temporary Employment Adjustment Plans (ERTE) offered by the Spanish government and in force until the end of February 2022, made it possible to protect jobs and keep on staff professionals with qualifications and training acquired over the years.
At Iberia Maintenance we also took advantage of the ERTEs, but most of the people who took advantage of them did so voluntarily.
A: Since the airlines did not fly, they did not use the entire fleet. Were aircraft overhauls reduced?
EGM: Yes, as I indicated before, aircraft overhauls are set by the manufacturers taking into account both age and utilization level.
As flight hours were reduced due to travel restrictions, overhaul requirements also decreased, but still far from the almost absolute zero experienced by airline operations.
A: Was there a reduction in the number of personnel?
EGM: No, as I was saying, we have used Temporary Labor Adjustment Plans (ERTE). This has given us a flexibility that has allowed us to adapt to the load at any given time, with no reduction in personnel.
In maintenance we still have the same team of professionals as before the pandemic.
POST COVID
A: With aviation returning to pre-pandemic levels, has engine-related work increased?
EGM: Yes, we expect an increase in the level of work. Last year, we induced 134 engines and this year we expect to be between 150-170. We have signed new contracts, for example with Qatar Airways for the maintenance of V2500 engines for the next 10 years.
A: What are your predictions for the future with regard to Iberia’s engine workshop? Are you planning any investments or new developments?
EGM: Looking ahead, we are already working to obtain the necessary certifications to be able to repair the future engines that will power the short and medium-haul fleet: the GTFs, which we hope to start keeping in the workshop during the second half of 2023, and the LEAPs, in 2024.
We are also developing new capabilities in the repair area and these are closely linked to new investments.
A: New clients?
EGM: We cannot give future data, nor talk about negotiations that are underway, but this year we have announced a contract with Qatar Airways for the maintenance of the V2500 engines for the next 10 years. The company has also signed a contract with Volotea to perform C-checks on Airbus A320s in the Madrid and Barcelona hangars for the next five and a half years.
A: Will La Muñoza receive new expansions soon?
EGM: Iberia has a plan for Iberia Maintenance that was presented to the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, in early 2021. During the visit of the mayor of Madrid, the company presented its plan to reconvert this industrial area into a reference center for the maintenance business in southern Europe.
Iberia is working on the development of an urban planning project in these facilities to:
- Boost its engine maintenance business with state-of-the-art and more sustainable models such as Pratt & Whitney’s GTFs and CFM’s LEAPs, which power the latest generation Airbus A320neo aircraft, and for which Iberia is working on becoming certified.
- Promote an aeronautical training school, based on the experience of Iberia’s Maintenance Instruction Center, with special emphasis on dual vocational training for young people and on training that will enable unemployed people to be retrained in aviation-related professions.
An urban planning project to reindustrialize this area of 1.7 million square meters, of which Iberia allocates around 220,000 mainly to aircraft maintenance. This area is directly connected to Madrid airport and is well connected via the A-2 and the M-50.
