La Sabah (Charleroi) won the maintenance contract for 80 F-16 aircraft of the US Air Force

La Saba’s Gosleys (Charleroi) base has been awarded a new maintenance contract by the US Air Force for its 80 F – 16 aircraft on European soil. “This agreement confirms Sapka Charleroi as a specialist center for F-16s in Europe and will provide employment for the next 10 years.”Says the Belgian company.

The agreement includes planned and unplanned maintenance of F-16s, an airline life extension program of 8,000 to 12,000 flight hours, and F-16 “base-on” technical assistance throughout Europe. The term of the contract is five years and renewable for another five years.

The deal is estimated at about $ 250 million and more than 100 direct jobs over 10 years in Charleroi and across Europe.

Specialization since 2001

Sabka has been responsible for maintaining the European fleet of United States Air Force (USAF) F-16 aircraft since 2001. This is partly thanks to the expertise gained by the maintenance of the F-16 of the Belgian Air Force.

“This new agreement reaffirms our expertise in aircraft heavy maintenance and modernization., Underlines the Maintenance, Repair and Repair (MRO) Division, which includes Blueberry Group CEO Stephen Burton and Charlroy Sabka MRO.

The Belgian space team Sapka was licensed to more than 300 F-16 fighters in the 1970s and 1980s. Today, the company is part of the Blueberry Industrial Ecosystem, which is owned by Sabena Aerospace and the Federal Partnership Company and Investments (SFPI).