(Left to Right) Rolls-Royce Africa customers VP Kevin Evans, Trade and Industry acting deputy director general Thandi Phele and SAAT acting CEO Wellington Nyuswa
In the culmination of a two-year journey, Rolls-Royce and South African Airways Technical (SAAT) on Wednesday celebrated the official opening of Rolls-Royce’s first lease engine storage facility in Africa.
This facility, based at SAAT’s premises in Kempton Park, Gauteng, marks a milestone event in the company’s capability improvement strategy as it allows Rolls-Royce to support airline customers both in Africa, and globally, from a facility in Southern Africa, Rolls-Royce Africa customers VP Kevin Evans told Engineering News Online.
“The opening of this facility marks the start of a journey that will see SAAT play an expanding role in our development of availability services across Africa as it increases its capability. We have worked closely with South African Airways for a number of years and we are delighted to be working with them on this initiative,” he told delegates at the opening event.
Based at the SAAT site at OR Tambo International Airport, the facility is capable of storing a full range of Rolls-Royce engine types to meet the requirements of airline and business jet customers based or operating in Africa.
The facility is authorised to store engines covering all the needs of Rolls-Royce’s African customers, which include the AE3007, Tay, BR710, BR715, RB211-524, RB211-535, Trent 500, Trent 700, Trent 800, Trent 900, Trent 1000, Trent XWB and Trent 7000.
Additionally, Rolls-Royce is providing technical training to SAAT staff to enable them to conduct work on engines in storage. The shared vision, outlined at the opening event, is that SAAT mechanics will, in time, be capable of performing a range of inspection and on-wing services for Rolls-Royce customers in the continent.
According to SAAT acting CEO Wellington Nyuswa, this agreement enables SAAT to demonstrate its capabilities to Rolls-Royce, and other parties.
It dovetails with SAAT’s strategy to seek further revenue-generating opportunities and will enable SAAT’s vision to be Africa’s leading maintenance, repair and overhaul company.
Trade and Industry acting deputy director general Thandi Phele elaborated that the Department of Trade and Industry, through its agreement with Rolls-Royce in the National Industrial Participation Programme (NIPP), has “forged a partnership that will yield mutual benefits over the next few years.
“The NIPP, as a lever of government procurement is a policy aimed at leveraging opportunities to develop industrial capabilities that will drive industrialisation towards the fulfilment of job creation and economic growth”.
The opening event was attended by the UK trade commissioner for Africa Emma Wade-Smith.