ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian Airlines and Sanad Aerotech on Wednesday signed an agreement on creating a maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) center of excellence in Africa.

Sanad is a leading service provider of aircraft engine MRO solutions. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi-based Mubadala Investment Company.

The agreement, which was signed during a conference on MRO in Africa in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, will facilitate Sanad and Ethiopian Airlines's efforts to maximize on untapped MRO business opportunities in the region, according to a joint statement.

The initial phase of the agreement will see Sanad and Ethiopian Airlines establishing a center of excellence for the repair and overhaul of auxiliary power units (APU) in Addis Ababa and will start with APUs used on B737 and A320 aircraft.

This will pave the way for future collaboration in the provision of APU and MRO services to other African airlines, the statement said.

Signing the agreement, Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewolde GebreMariam, said the strategic alliance with Sanad Aerotech is consistent with Ethiopian Airlines' vision of making its MRO facility the leading MRO service provider in Africa through strategic partnerships with OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and selected international MRO service providers.

"This joint venture is going to generate quite substantial business for the two companies because we are going to leverage on our synergies, the facilities that we have here in Addis," Tewolde said. "The Ethiopian Aviation Academy is going to support the joint venture with continuous flow of trained, qualified, skilled and certified aviation professionals, aircraft technicians and the infrastructure, and the Ethiopian Airlines airplanes."

Sanad Aerotech Chief Executive Officer Mansoor Janahi, on his part, said his company continues to push ahead with its strategy of expanding a global presence through strategic alliances with well-established companies that share the same vision for quality and excellence.

He said the strategic alliance that Sanad forged with Ethiopian Airlines provides greater opportunities for the two companies to collaborate and develop mutually beneficial activities across the entire African continent.

"The infrastructure that the Ethiopian Airlines has; the qualified workforce that Ethiopian Airlines has; the capability that Ethiopian Airlines has, is world class," Janahi said. "We work with the best in the sector." Enditem

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