Sabena Engineering, Which Maintains Ukrainian F-16s, Plans to Service Up to Six Aircraft Per Month

Sabena Engineering, the company responsible for the maintenance of Ukraine’s F-16 fighter jets, currently services four combat aircraft each month and plans to increase this volume.

Belgian Defense Minister Theo Franken announced this in an interview with Ukrinform news agency.

According to him, the company will soon expand its capacity and increase its maintenance volume to six aircraft per month.

Sabena Engineering

The Belgian company Sabena Engineering is one of Europe’s leading providers of maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for aircraft.

The company has a long history in civil and military aviation, rooted in the technical division of Belgium’s former national airline, Sabena, which operated as early as the first half of the 20th century.

Today, the company is part of the international ORAXYS Group and specializes in servicing civilian passenger aircraft, as well as military transport aircraft and fighter jets for the Belgian Air Force and other NATO countries.

Maintenance of Ukrainian F-16s

Ukraine’s industrial partners have accelerated the maintenance of Ukrainian F-16 fighter jets following intensive use.

Problems with maintaining these aircraft stem, in particular, from the fact that some components for early F-16 models are no longer manufactured, and they are becoming increasingly difficult to procure.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also stated recently that about half of the F-16 fighter jets have been in Europe for a long time undergoing repairs and maintenance.

According to him, the return of some aircraft is being delayed to such an extent that Ukraine is losing precious time when the fighter jets are most needed to defend its airspace.

Additionally, Theo Franken stated that Belgium’s transfer of three F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine will take place immediately after the signing of an agreement with France on the transfer of technology to third countries.

The need for additional approval arose because the Belgian aircraft were upgraded with French radiation warning systems.