FL Technics and Grupo Puntacana have officially commenced operations at a new $70 million heavy MRO facility at Punta Cana International Airport (PUJ), marking the launch with the arrival of the site’s first aircraft, an Airbus A320ceo.

Announced in a press release on August 12, 2026, the 20,000-square-meter hangar represents the first heavy maintenance center of its kind in the Dominican Republic. The facility serves as the inaugural dedicated heavy maintenance site in the Americas for FL Technics, a subsidiary of Avia Solutions Group. The site is designed to provide nearshore MRO capacity for narrow-body operators across North, Central, and South America.

JetBlue anchors initial operations following FAA certification

While the August 12 announcement did not explicitly name the operator of the first A320ceo to enter the hangar, FL Technics previously confirmed JetBlue Airways (B6) as the launch customer for the Punta Cana site. The April 2026 agreement established an early commercial anchor for Airbus A320 family airframe base maintenance.

The facility’s opening follows a rapid series of regulatory approvals. On June 16, 2026, FL Technics received RAD-145 Maintenance Organization certification from the Dominican Civil Aviation Institute (IDAC). One week later, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued the site a Part 145 Repair Station Certificate, clearing the facility to service US-registered aircraft.

Infrastructure expansion and local workforce development

The joint venture with Grupo Puntacana represents a $70 million investment in regional aviation infrastructure. In its initial phase, the facility operates five maintenance bays. FL Technics plans to expand the site to accommodate between 12 and 20 maintenance bays in future development phases.

The MRO center currently employs 300 skilled technical and support staff. At full operational scale, the company projects the workforce will grow to 2,000 employees.

“This first arrival is an important moment for our team and the country. It is evidence that high-level aviation maintenance can be delivered right here in the Dominican Republic,” said Mejico Angeles Lithgow, CEO of FL Technics in the Dominican Republic.

Lithgow noted that future expansion will rely heavily on local talent, with plans to launch a dedicated MRO academy to train technicians within the country.

Juozas Lapeika, Chief Base Maintenance Officer at FL Technics, framed the opening as a foundational move for the region.

“Our long-term mission is to bring safe and efficient aviation MRO services closer to our customers across the Americas while helping strengthen the aviation ecosystem in the regions where we operate,” Lapeika said.

AirPro News analysis

The activation of the Punta Cana facility highlights a broader industry shift toward nearshore maintenance solutions. As North American MRO facilities face persistent capacity constraints and workforce shortages, operators are increasingly looking to the Caribbean and Latin America for heavy maintenance on narrow-body fleets like the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families. By securing FAA Part 145 certification ahead of its launch, FL Technics has positioned the Dominican Republic as a viable, geographically convenient alternative to sending aircraft out of the region for routine heavy checks. We expect this facility to attract significant interest from US-based airlines seeking predictable turnaround times for their narrow-body assets.

Sources: FL Technics

AMAC Aerospace has completed concurrent maintenance and refurbishment programs on five Boeing BBJ 737 aircraft at its facility in Basel, Switzerland.

In a press release issued on August 10, 2026, the company detailed the varied scopes of work across the five airframes, demonstrating the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) provider’s capacity to handle simultaneous heavy inspections and interior upgrades for narrow-body VIP aircraft.

Scope of Boeing BBJ 737 maintenance

The maintenance packages ranged from routine flight-hour checks to extensive C checks and cabin refurbishments. According to the company, the specific work scopes included:

• Aircraft 1: A 1,000-flight-hour check performed alongside A, B1, and B2 inspections.
• Aircraft 2: B2 and B3 inspections.
• Aircraft 3: A B2 inspection combined with a water heater replacement.
• Aircraft 4: Extensive heavy maintenance featuring 1C and 2C inspections, a complete landing gear overhaul, and cabin interior work including seat refurbishment and galley countertop replacement.
• Aircraft 5: A standard B check.

Recent VIP aircraft redeliveries in Basel

The completion of these five aircraft follows a steady volume of Boeing Business Jet work at the Swiss facility. On February 23, 2026, AMAC Aerospace announced the redelivery of two other Boeing BBJ 737 aircraft following maintenance. One of those airframes, operated on behalf of a head of state, underwent A1, A2, and three-year inspections, along with a windshield replacement.

AirPro News analysis

The ability to process five Boeing BBJ 737s concurrently underscores the scale of AMAC Aerospace’s Basel operations. VIP aircraft maintenance requires specialized interior handling capabilities alongside standard commercial heavy maintenance approvals. By executing simultaneous C checks, landing gear overhauls, and bespoke cabin refurbishments, AMAC reinforces its position in the highly specialized VIP and head-of-state MRO market, where operators prioritize facilities that can minimize downtime by combining technical inspections with interior upgrades.

Sources: AMAC Aerospace

TP Aerospace and Ascend Airways Malaysia finalized a long-term partnership agreement on August 12, 2026, to provide integrated wheels and brakes support for the carrier’s expanding Boeing 737-800 fleet.

Announced in a company press release, the agreement utilizes TP Aerospace’s local workshop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to deliver predictable maintenance costs and parts availability for the growing Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance (ACMI) operator.

Operational support and fleet expansion

Ascend Airways Malaysia, a subsidiary of the Avia Solutions Group, has rapidly scaled its operations over the past year. The carrier launched dedicated freighter services in November 2025 using Boeing 737-800(SF) aircraft and subsequently took delivery of its first passenger Boeing 737-800 on April 26, 2026.

To support this dual-mission fleet, the TP Aerospace contract includes exchange services, on-site stock provisioning, and comprehensive pool support. By localizing the component support in Kuala Lumpur, the agreement aims to reduce turnaround times for critical maintenance events.

Ascend Airways Malaysia Chief Executive Officer Germal Singh Khera stated that securing trusted partners is crucial as the airline scales its capacity.

“We are pleased to partner with TP Aerospace and are confident that their expertise, global resources and dedicated operational support will help us maintain smooth, consistent and reliable operations,” Khera said.

Regional growth strategy

The contract strengthens TP Aerospace’s position in the Asia-Pacific aviation market, a region experiencing high demand for localized component repair and overhaul services.

Philip Broskov Hansen, Vice President of Global Program Sales at TP Aerospace, noted that the integrated program is designed to ensure high dispatch reliability for the Malaysian operator.

“This partnership highlights our ability to deliver flexible and reliable solutions that support high operational uptime and cost predictability for growing operators,” Hansen said.

AirPro News analysis

We view this agreement as a standard but critical operational step for a scaling ACMI provider. ACMI business models rely heavily on dispatch reliability, as the operator is contracted to provide guaranteed capacity to other airlines. By securing a localized wheels and brakes pool in Kuala Lumpur, Ascend Airways Malaysia mitigates the risk of Aircraft on Ground (AOG) events caused by supply chain bottlenecks. For TP Aerospace, locking in a growing Avia Solutions Group subsidiary provides a stable revenue stream and justifies continued investment in its Southeast Asian maintenance infrastructure.

Sources: TP Aerospace