(Seychelles News Agency) - Air Seychelles has signed a contract with SriLankan Engineering to carry out maintenance of its new Airbus A320neo aircraft ‘Veuve’.

Air Seychelles’ head of corporate affairs, Sheryl Barra, told SNA that the airline chose the engineering team of the Sri Lankan Airlines as it is already an A320neo operator within the region.

“Following an in-depth inspection of the airline’s engineering maintenance facility which successfully met all the requirements and standards of Air Seychelles, the national airline selected SriLankan engineering to conduct ‘A-check’ on its Airbus A320neo aircraft Veuve,” said Barra.

Air Seychelles added the new AirbusA320 to its fleet at the beginning of August to become the first airline in the western Indian Ocean and Africa to have the aircraft. The national carrier is leasing the aircraft from CDB Aviation -- a wholly owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank financial leasing company -- for around $300,000 per month for 12 years.

SriLankan Engineering is the aircraft maintenance repair organisation of SriLankan Airlines.

Barra added that apart from a specialised hanger to do the maintenance for the A320neo aircraft type, the facility which is maintained by experienced SriLankan Engineering staff is certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.

“Currently, the Air Seychelles maintenance facility at the Seychelles International Airport is not equipped or certified to conduct ‘A checks’ on the aircraft which is why SriLankan Engineering was chosen to conduct this specific task,” she added.

‘A Check’ is usually done every eight to ten weeks and involves changing filters and a detailed inspection of all the emergency equipment.

Barra says for the A320neo the check will be conducted every two months. The first maintenance was done soon after the signing of the contract two weeks ago.

Air Seychelles did not disclose the cost nor the duration of the contract but said the service is being delivered only on the new Airbus A320neo aircraft.

In an article published by SriLankan Airlines last Tuesday, the SriLankan Engineering said it welcomes Air Seychelles as its new airline customer.

“We are delighted to welcome Air Seychelles as a valued customer and look forward to a long and fruitful relationship,” D.A.G. Jayasuriya, Chief Technical Officer of SriLankan Airlines said.

SriLankan Engineering holds approvals from numerous national aviation authorities including Singapore, China, India, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain to carry out aircraft maintenance.

It also provides full engineering services for the entire SriLankan Airlines fleet, which is comprised of A320, A321 and A330 aircraft.