32
less developed, the relevant catchment area has been considered the country of
destination.
157
(163) The Parties agree with the Commission's previously established geographic
definition.
(164) Therefore, in line with its prior decisional practice, the Commission will assess
the effects of the Transaction on a continent-to-continent and continent-to-country
basis as the case may be. The Transaction gives rise to the following affected
cargo flows: EEA - North America (USA & Canada), North America (USA &
Canada) - EEA, Mexico - EEA, UK - North America (USA & Canada), North
America (USA & Canada) - UK, Mexico - UK, UK - Mexico, EEA - Caribbean,
Caribbean - EEA, EEA - Cuba, Cuba - EEA, EEA - South Africa, South Africa -
EEA, EEA - Nigeria, Nigeria - EEA.
4.2.4. Maintenance, repair and overhaul (“MRO”) services
4.2.4.1. Relevant product market
(165) In prior decisions, the Commission distinguished four separate segments within
the MRO market based on the part of the aircraft to be serviced and the level of
service required, namely (i) line maintenance (minor checks carried out on
aircraft and performed at the different airports), (ii) heavy maintenance
(comprehensive inspection and overhaul of the aircraft, for which the aircraft is
taken out of service), (iii) engine maintenance, and (iv) components maintenance
(inspection, repair and overhaul of specific aircraft components).
158
The
Commission also considered but ultimately left the question open, whether a
distinction between commercial and business aviation is appropriate.
159
It
moreover noted that line maintenance and heavy maintenance can be further
subdivided according to nature and frequency of the checks involved (A, B, C and
D-checks).
160
157
Cases M.8361 – Qatar Airways/Alisarda/Meridiana, paragraph 39; M.6828 – Delta Airlines/ Virgin
Group / Virgin Atlantic Limited, paragraph 79; M.6447 – IAG/bmi, paragraph 94 ; M.5747 –
Iberia/British Airways, paragraph 42.
158
Cases M.8425 – Safran/Zodiac Aerospace, paragraph 289; M.6447 – IAG/bmi, paragraph 105; M.6554
– EADS/STA/Elbe Flugzeugwerke JV, paragraph 25; M.6410 – UTC/Goodrich, paragraph 174; M.5747
– Iberia/British Airways, paragraph 48; M.3374 – SR Technics/FLS Aerospace, paragraph 9; M.3280 –
Air France/KLM, paragraph 39.
159
Cases M.8425 – Safran/Zodiac Aerospace, paragraph 289.
160
Cases M.8425 – Safran/Zodiac Aerospace, paragraph 289; M.6554 – EADS/STA/Elbe Flugzeugwerke
JV, paragraph 25; M.6410 – UTC/Goodrich, paragraph 174; M.3280 – Air France/KLM, paragraph 39.
An A-check is performed approximately every 800 flight hours and requires around 200-300 man-
hours to complete. Bchecks are performed approximately every 4-6 months and are usually performed
within 3 days at an airport hangar. C-checks are performed approximately every 18 to 24 months or
after a specific amount of actual Flight Hours as defined by the manufacturer. D-checks/structural
checks are the most comprehensive and demanding checks, since the entire aircraft structure is taken
apart for inspection and overhaul. Intermediate structural checks occur after 5-6 years and heavy
structural checks occur after 10- 12 years. Such checks will usually demand around 15,000 to 20,000
man-hours and around 1 month to complete at suitably equipped maintenance bases.