Clark-based Dornier Technology, which is headed by Nikos Gitsis, has been officially certified by the US Federal Aviation Administration (US FAA) as a foreign repair station, authorized to perform heavy maintenance on the Airbus A320 aircraft family.
Dornier Technology is now approved by the US FAA to carry out scheduled preventive maintenance, major repairs and alterations and heavy airframe maintenance up to D-Check (12-year check) on the Airbus A318, A319, A320 and A321.
This includes both CEO and NEO variants, powered by CFM International CFM56, International Aero Engines V2500 and Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines.
The US FAA certification gives Dornier Technology a strategic edge over its foreign competitors currently servicing local airlines such as the Tan family-owned Philippine flag-carrier Philippine Airlines and the Gokongwei family-owned low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific Air.
PAL outsources its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) to various external providers – specifically Lufthansa Technik and the HAECO Group, as well as to other specialized service providers for specialized components such as landing gear from Safran Landing Systems and a few others.
Lufthansa Technik is a joint venture between PAL’s affiliate MacroAsia Corp. and the Lufthansa Group of Germany.
Lufthansa Technik likewise provides MRO services to low-cost carrier CebuPac. The Gokongwei-led LCC also has a long-term agreement with Lufthansa Technik for the management of CebuPac’s integrated supply of consumables and expendables (C&E) for its aircraft fleet covering A320, A321CEO and NEO, and A330NEO aircraft.
In a statement, Gitsis, chief executive officer of Dornier Technology, said, “We secured the certification following a thorough audit by US FAA officials who visited our facilities.”
He emphasized that “The US FAA is globally recognized and this certification positions Dornier to meet the stringent requirements of aircraft owners and lessors worldwide. It confirms that our processes, inspection systems, equipment and personnel are fully compliant with US FAA standards.”
Gitsis further cited the relevance of the certification to the global market, stressing that “the A320 family is the world’s most popular narrow-body aircraft. Having FAA approval allows us to participate more actively in the global MRO market.”
Dornier Technology, which was founded in 2008, currently services the Airbus A320 Family, ATR 42/72, Boeing 737 and BAE 146 aircraft. The company holds certifications from multiple civil aviation authorities including the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, Indonesia’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT), and Myanmar’s Department of Civil Aviation (DCA).
It also holds ISO 9001:2015 certification for aircraft major maintenance inspections, repairs and modifications and engineering services.
According to Gitsis, “Airframe heavy maintenance remains our core business, largely supported by domestic carriers. With the US FAA certification and our competitive labor cost advantage, we aim to increase the share of foreign airlines to 70 percent by the end of next year.”
Dornier’s target markets, Gitsis elaborated, would expand to include the US, the Association of South East Asian or ASEAN region, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Pacific island nations.
Gitsis expressed the view that “the Philippines is emerging as a hub for aircraft MRO thanks to its large pool of skilled and certified maintenance engineers and technicians who constantly provide quality workmanship that meets the highest international standards.”
Dornier Technology currently employs over 200 personnel, with its heavy maintenance base at Clark International Airport, which is 70 miles north of Manila. However, it also has line maintenance stations at other airports around the country, such as in Bohol, Caticlan, Cebu, Clark, Davao, Iloilo, Kalibo, Manila and Puerto Princesa.
Dornier Technology is certified by the CAAP as an approved maintenance organization, as well as by South Korea’s MOLIT, Indonesia’s DGCA and Myanmar’s DCA. It also holds ISO 9001:2015 certification for aircraft major maintenance inspections, repairs and modifications and engineering services.
Besides maintenance, Dornier Technology provides: technical training, aviation consulting services, fleet management, engine support and maintenance of aero systems, such as avionics.
Dornier Technology is also locally approved to perform shop services such as wheels and brakes, aircraft batteries, leading edge de-icer boots, to name a few.
Gitsis has decades of commercial aviation experience. He is a director of SEAIR International, a Philippine cargo airline and a director of Philippine ground handling company Transnational Aviation Support Services.
When Gitsis assumed the CEO position of Dornier Technology in 2022, he had already expressed his desire to expand the company’s MRO business beyond the Philippines.
Gitsis had previously pointed out that “because we are inside Clark’s special economic zone, we enjoy the benefits of being in the tax-free zone, making import and export of aircraft parts and components easy for our clients through the zone’s expedited process.”
Dornier Technology is certified to do line and heavy maintenance for the Airbus A320 family; Boeing 737 classics such as the -200, -300, -400 and -500 series; ATR 42 and ATR 72; British Aerospace/Avro BAe 146/RJ, Dornier 328 and Let 410.
According to Gitsis, “Dornier Technology was born out of SEAIR, as a natural progression of growth and development of pioneering aviation endeavors that we as a group have been participating in for 30 years now.
“It’s just another day, but these hardworking dedicated people in our company make me extremely grateful. We are not the biggest, nor the richest, but we are a proud team. Through good times and bad, tenaciously proud to prove ourselves everyday that we can do great things, and as we grow, learn, improve and continue on the journey of aviation MRO nation building in our own special way with Love.
“Kayang kaya Dornier! Philippines is the future coming to life today!”
