European turboprop manufacturer ATR and German maintenance specialist Rheinland Air Service (RAS) on June 10 signed a service and collaboration agreement appointing RAS as a new member of ATR’s network of partner maintenance centers. Rheinland’s facility in Monchengladbach specializes in the heavy maintenance of ATR airframes.

ATR operators in Europe now number about 60. RAS concentrates on versions of the ATR 42 and the ATR 72, while also offering services on the Boeing 737, Airbus A319 and Bombardier and Fokker models.

The partnership with RAS coincides with ATR’s decision to develop and offer its operators a worldwide network of independent suppliers of maintenance services. According to the terms of the agreement, RAS will participate in ATR’s service policy, ensuring its compliance with the fundamental customer service rules defined by the airframer. ATR’s customer support network in Europe includes pilot training centers in Toulouse and Paris, as well as a spare parts distribution center, also in Paris.

ATR (Chalet B345) considers its MRO network an important part of the regional policy implemented by its customer support department to offer operators local access to maintenance, logistics and training.

“ATR’s market success over the last 10 years has largely propelled RAS’s strong growth within the same timeframe,” said RAS COO and managing director Walter Lange. “RAS will therefore double its capacity by constructing a second large maintenance hangar to serve the growing ATR customer base in Europe.”