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AIRLINE RON KUHLMANN has spent his entire life in the aviation industry. Beginning with a 30-year career at Swissair, he moved to an aviation consulting firm which eventually was absorbed by Unisys Transportation. He has written for numerous aviation publications and has been a speaker at industry events, including being the keynote speaker for Lufthansa Systems' global meeting in Berlin. 58 APRIL 2017 AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY carrier and the Q400s, operated by partner Austrian Airlines, will continue to augment the fleet for short-haul, low-density destinations. With the growing fleet of the C Series aircraft, the A319 aircraft will be eliminated. At the end of 2016, the SWISS operated European fleet numbered 64, growing to 66 (including wet leased aircraft) by the end of 2018. EXPANDED MAINTENANCE PROGRAM While all line-maintenance tasks up to A-checks continue to be preformed by SWISS Technics, a division of the airline, all other checks, as well as base maintenance, are contracted with SR Technics. However, with an expanded workload for SWISS Technics, they have leased hangar space from SR Technics — three bays for short haul aircraft and four for long haul. The SWISS Technics staff, along with all other departments in the airline, was challenged by the simultaneous integration of two new fleet types. However, the entire process was achieved with no major complications. Part of the transition has included new training and upgrading of skills for roughly 300 employees and engineers. In addition, roughly 100 new staff will be added to SWISS Technics to handle the growing fleet. NEWER, BETTER, LOWER COST This is a huge undertaking for a midsized airline. Within about three years 39 aircraft will be replaced with models new to the fleet, completely revamping the European and ultra-long haul services. When the transition is fully implemented, SWISS will have more capacity, lower costs, and one of the youngest fleets in Europe. Though many think of chocolate when Switzerland is mentioned, the equally famous Swiss reputation for excellence and precision will doubtless continue to make the transition flawless. Professional Development Programs: • Management and Leadership • Supervisory and Lead • Customer Service • Organizational Resource Management • Sales and Marketing • Project Management • Human Factors • Communications • Team work • Phone Etiquette • and many more… www.ServiceElements.com 480-538-0123 People are your company ' s most important assets .