The African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA) said it has signed a strategic deal with Jet Support Services (JSSI), a key provider of hourly cost maintenance programs for the business aviation industry.

The agreement, which will run for an initial five-year period, is aimed at raising awareness of the importance of adopting best practices in aircraft maintenance.

Ratified at this year’s National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) meeting, the deal will see both parties co-operating in promoting awareness of programme options to enable best practice across the aviation maintenance sector.

As per the pact, AfBAA members will receive financial, educational and business benefits when enrolling aircraft onto JSSI Programmes. In addition JSSI will provide a variety of tools and incentives to promote the adoption of certain industry “best practices” including the adoption of hourly cost maintenance progammes for executive aircraft, engines and Auxiliary Power Units (APU).

It is anticipated that through encouraging the adoption of hourly cost maintenance programmes, the perception of business aviation as an efficient and safe mode of transportation in Africa will be improved.

On the JSSI deal, Tarek Ragheb, the founding chairman of AfBAA, said: "This type of arrangement underlines our commitment to providing members with tangible benefits whilst at the same time encouraging the adoption of best practice for the African business aviation sector."

"We believe this will serve to enhance aircraft values, reinforce a positive perception of the value of African aircraft and will provide operators with an additional layer of expertise in maintenance planning and performance. This is all invaluable for the African market," he added.

Ragheb said the agreement fits with AfBAA’s strategic plan to focus on developing four important pillars of the African business aviation sector – safety, training, finance and advocacy.

AfBAA and JSSI will make the benefits available for aircraft based in Africa and that are jointly identified as suitable for the programme.-TradeArabia News Service