Maldivian, the national airline of the Maldives and on-demand operator of charter, medevac and freighter flights, has signed service agreements with De Havilland Aircraft of Canada that will significantly enhance its operational performance. The agreements will provide A and C Check Maintenance Interval Extensions, as well as Enhanced Structural Inspection Requirements (ESIR) for its fleet of 10 Dash 8-200 and Dash 8-300 aircraft.

Managing director Mohamed Rizvi says: “We are always looking for modern techniques to increase our operational efficiencies, aircraft utilisation and to improve customer experience. Knowing we have the support and experience of De Havilland Canada provides us with additional time to focus on other business activities.”

“A and C Check Maintenance Interval Extensions offer airlines longer time periods between maintenance checks, resulting in reduced downtime and increased aircraft availability,” explains De Havilland Canada COO Todd Young. “Maldivian currently operates with an A Check maintenance interval of 500 flight hours and a C Check maintenance interval of 5,000 flight hours. The extension to be provided by De Havilland Canada will increase the A Check intervals up to 800 flight hours and the C Check intervals up to 8,000 flight hours and multiples, increasing revenue-generating opportunities over the lifespan of the airline's Dash 8-200 and Dash 8-300 aircraft.

“The ESIR support that we will provide targets aircraft flying over 40,000 cycles, significantly extending the repeat intervals of mandatory structural inspections. In doing so, Maldivian will benefit from fewer inspections, lower material costs and increased flying time.”