OREANDA-NEWS. Intertek, a leading provider of quality and safety services to a wide range of industries around the world, is expanding its global network of AeroCHECK laboratories into the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE is a major and growing aviation hub for The Gulf and the Middle Eastern region.. The AeroCHECK service provided by Intertek's Sharjah, UAE laboratory supports the increasing demands of the aviation industry for quality testing and complex investigative analysis.

AeroCHECK provides a full suite of oil, fuel, hydraulic fluid, and filter/debris analysis services which assists operators in identifying potential component failures before they occur, and helps reduce unscheduled maintenance to a minimum.

Until now, complex quality testing and investigative analysis for regional airlines, aviation operators, and maintenance organisations was shipped to the UK, with a test and response time of 12-16 hours. AeroCHECK in the UAE reduces the process to just two hours, with 24-hour support, a dedicated on-call hotline, and a full AOG (Aircraft on Ground) service.

According to International Air Transport Association (IATA) the United Arab Emirates will be the second fastest growing market for international passenger traffic after China at 10.2% and 10.8%, respectively. The association stipulates that profits from carriers in the Middle East are expected to grow from USD 1.0 billion in 2013 to USD 1.6 billion in 2014 driven by rapid growth of airlines in the Gulf.

With a single point of contact for all testing requirements, fleet operators have simple, rapid, and easy access to Intertek's full range of accredited testing, expert consultancy advice, and test result interpretation. The Sharjah, UAE laboratory AeroCHECK laboratory provides a full range of testing capabilities, including the analysis of oils and fluids used in engines, gearboxes, auxiliary power units (APU), and hydraulic systems. Additional testing includes fuel analysis, fuel microbiological contamination, water testing, magnetic chip detector (MCD) and filter debris analysis, and grease testing and component 'mode-of-failure' analysis.

Mr. Hussain Al-Atrakchi, Regional Manager for Intertek in the Middle East, said, "Bringing the AeroCHECK program to the Gulf region provides enhanced quality testing to benefit aircraft reliability and safety. AeroCHECK provides complete 24 hour support, with a dedicated on-call hotline and a full AOG (Aircraft on Ground) service."

Robert Chapman, Global Manager for Oil Condition Monitoring, said, "Intertek's AeroCHECK services support the pace of growth in the region. Our global team of experts on aircraft fluid and debris testing provides clients with safe and secure online reports, which give important trending information and fully interpreted results, along with simple and easy-to-understand summaries and recommendations. With the addition of a Scanning Electron Microscopy instrument in the laboratory we offer full testing capabilities locally in the UAE."