Etihad Airways Engineering has signed an agreement with Kenya Airways to perform mandatory checks on its Boeing 787-8 fleet. This is part of an integration programme for the newest additions to the airline's fleet.

The first of six scheduled Boeing 787 C-checks begins this month, with the last one planned for October 2017. The airline is also planning a number of product and reliability improvement modifications to systems and components during these heavy maintenance checks.

Jeff Wilkinson, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Airways Engineering, said: "We are pleased to support Kenya Airways in optimising its fleet performance and building its technical know-how through our expanding Boeing 787 heavy maintenance capabilities."

Martyn Haines, Kenya Airways Technical Director, said: "We will use this opportunity to upscale and retool some of our technical department, who will be onsite to provide oversight of all work being done. The agreement also opens up other collaborative opportunities including training programmes.

"We have an ongoing maintenance programme of small and large checks across our other fleets, with all of these scheduled for completion within our maintenance facility."

Etihad Airways Engineering is the largest commercial aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services provider in the Middle East and has served more than 100 airlines and aviation operators from around the world. The company was named MRO Service Provider of the Year - Middle East at the 2016 Aviation Business Awards.

Contributed by Etihad Airways