Russia’s Volga Dnepr Group said its Dubai-based maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) unit, VD Gulf, is expanding its reach across the Middle East region with the launch of a new operational base in Bahrain.

VD Gulf has received approval from aviation authorities of Bahrain to start performing unlimited base and line maintenance of aircraft registered in the kingdom, said a statement from the Russian group.

Compliance of VD Gulf maintenance base with all applicable requirements and regulations has been proved during an audit carried out by Bahrain CAA, it stated.

Today the company has the same approvals from aviation authorities of 14 countries worldwide, including other states of the region such as India, Turkey, Iraq and Pakistan, to extend its capabilities to provide aircraft MRO services, according to Volga Dnepr.

For the last two years, VD Gulf, as an independent leading MRO provider, follows the strategy aimed at expansion of Middle Eastern market with the focus on regional operators, said the company statement.

The main factor that contributed to selection of the MRO service provider was availability of approval from CAA of the country where aircraft was registered, remarked Mikhail Khoroshayev, the general director of VD Gulf.

"In VD Gulf, we are striving to increase the number of the Middle Eastern countries using our services. In the foreseeable future we are going to further expand the coverage area and receive approvals from other Middle Eastern countries," he added.-TradeArabia News Service