UAMCO's John Savvides on turning Cyprus into an unlikely node in global aviation maintenance

John Savvides, CEO of UAMCO, Cyprus’ first aircraft engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) company, talks about the challenges he encountered along the way to positioning the country as a key node in global aviation maintenance and shares his bold plans for the company’s future.

Below, his interview from the April issue of GOLD magazine.

Above the workshop, large enough to accommodate six aircraft engines and the corresponding crew, hang flags: Brazil, the Philippines, Singapore, among others. A mini-UN of mechanics. They mark the countries from which the United Aerospace Maintenance Company (UAMCO) has drawn its talent, turning Cyprus into an unlikely node in global aviation maintenance. On the floor, a technician threads an optical probe deep inside an engine, his eyes locked on the screen beside him. “That’s a borescope,” explains UAMCO’s CEO, John Savvides, helpfully. After three decades in workshops from the US to Nigeria, working for the likes of British Airways and Monarch Airlines, Savvides noted the absence of a regional maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility – one that would service CFM’s LEAP engines. So he partnered with an investor and took a €20 million bet. The UAMCO facility is located in Aradippou’s industrial zone, a few sun-bleached acres away from the country’s busiest airport. Three storeys tall, sleek and industrial, it is a modern shell built for the serious business of keeping aircraft in the sky.

The crucial deal with GE Aerospace

The bet paid off. In 2024, UAMCO signed a deal with GE Aerospace to be part of its MRO network for LEAP engines across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. This family of engines, unveiled in 2016 by CFM International – a joint venture between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines – has become a pillar of commercial aviation, powering more than 3,000 aircraft across 160 operators.

Now is a good time for the MRO business. Following the unprecedented drop in passenger demand during the pandemic, commercial airlines now face the opposite challenge: too few aircraft to meet a growing travel demand. The backlog for new narrow-body aircraft is estimated at 16,000, which would take well into 2030 to clear. So, many airlines are delaying aircraft retirements as a stopgap measure, which has driven demand for MRO services. According to Savvides, the LEAP series, installed on Airbus A320neo, COMAC C919 and Boeing 737 MAX – for which it has become the exclusive option – has experienced shorter than expected on-wing time, especially for operators in hot, dusty regions, necessitating earlier removals and more shop visits. “Existing MROs don’t just handle CFM LEAP engines – they also work on Pratt & Whitney and Rolls Royce types,” Savvides explains. “So, it’s crucial to have specialists like us who can focus on fast turnarounds for these engines.” Such turnarounds can take up to 110 days, depending on the work that needs to be done.

Since its inauguration in 2025, UAMCO has already received four engines, two of which have already been overhauled and delivered to clients – it is expecting another two soon. Nonetheless, several fixes have come from CFMI to improve the on-wing service liability of the engine, including the reverse bleed system (RBS) retrofit kits, which blow cold air into the engine when it comes into a stop. The deal between GE and UAMCO includes these retrofits.

A facility that “has put Cyprus on the worldwide map for engine overhaul workshops”

On the second floor of the facility, just past the conference room, Savvides walks me into his office. The walls are lined with signed APOEL FC shirts. Cabinets overflow with rubber ducks, a nod to the Jeep-owner ritual known as “ducking,” where drivers leave a duck on each other’s bonnet in silent, squeaky solidarity. Savvides’ enthusiasm as a Jeep owner, though, is surpassed by his pride for UAMCO’s quiet mission. “Our facility,” he says, “has put Cyprus on the worldwide map for engine overhaul workshops.” These don’t crop up often – especially for LEAP engines. “Now, Cyprus is known to airlines, lessors and even manufacturers,” he continues, his pride tinged with the faintest flicker of exasperation, mostly aimed at the local bureaucratic quagmire that made launching the facility more challenging. “Look, for them,” he says, talking about government departments, “this was something new and difficult to understand”. While he is quick to praise the Ministry of Energy, Commerce & Industry, from which UAMCO leases its land, dealing with other departments has caused a few headaches. “I still don’t think they understand what we’ve created here and what we’re planning to do in terms of sales. I don’t think they understand what it means for a private Cypriot company to attract one of the biggest companies in the world, not to mention a whole new industry.”

US Ambassador sees potential avenue to deepen US-Cyprus ties

Other political figures have taken notice too, including the US Ambassador to Cyprus, Julie Fisher, who has toured the facility, seeing UAMCO as a potential avenue to a further strengthening of US-Cyprus bilateral ties. “I know ExxonMobil and Chevron are usually the headline news,” Savvides says, “but when they see the standing of UAMCO in 2025, they’ll hopefully understand and realise what UAMCO is and what it will be for years to come.”

Setting up an MRO workshop in the EU also meant navigating a thicket of regulatory frameworks and layered compliance checks, covering everything from management systems to tooling audits, safety protocols and staff qualifications. Finding specialised staff was another challenge. Drawing on decades of industry experience, Savvides had a mental list of trusted people he’d worked with. He deliberately paired them with young Cypriot graduates, many with backgrounds in aerospace or aeronautical engineering, though not exclusively. Training comes via GE Aerospace, UAMCO’s tooling supplier (licensed by CFM International), as well as a new in-house programme currently under development. The company employs 22 people and with several work visas in the pipeline, as well as more local hires, Savvides estimates that number will rise to 29 by July – just in time for the facility to reach full operational capacity, able to handle six engines at once. Tooling, too, is a battle of its own. It’s hyper-specific and often in short supply. Companies don’t just order off the shelf; they usually queue.

"More than pleased" with company's trajectory

It’s still too early to talk about revenues as work scopes vary and, with them, costs but Savvides is visibly pleased with the company’s trajectory. “Actually, I’m more than pleased. It’s taken a lot of pressure off and given us some much-needed direction,” he highlights. Next up is capacity building. Starting in early 2026, UAMCO will expand its scope of work to include servicing engine modules, which are currently sent abroad for repair. More importantly, the company has a pending application with the Ministry of Energy, Commerce & Industry for the allocation of land to build an engine test facility for the LEAP series. These are still relatively rare, especially in this region. If all goes well, the test facility will be operational by the end of 2026. The projects have a hefty price tag - roughly €100 million in capital investment. Savvides hopes to avoid bringing in more investors and instead tap into EU funding programmes and consultants have already been engaged. “Our target and vision,” he says, “is to not have a single engine part leave Cyprus.”

(Photo by Michalis Kyprianou)

(This article was first published in the February issue of GOLD magazine. To view it click here)