Aviation Technical Services GDL

The Embraer ERJ 145 is a long-trusted workhorse in regional aviation, cycling through high-frequency, short-haul routes. With multiple takeoffs and landings each day, even a minor glitch in landing-system components can derail schedules and spike maintenance costs for operators. Flawless performance is absolutely critical.

Aviation Technical Services GDL (ATS GDL) is the go-to specialist for ERJ 145 operators, delivering inspections, overhauls and repairs that keep landing-system components performing at peak efficiency. Operating out of Guadalajara, Mexico, a strategic hub for fast, low-friction logistics and cost-efficient operations across North and Latin America, ATS GDL ensures smooth, predictable turnarounds that keep airline operations on schedule.

“Our loyalty within the ERJ 145 community comes from being a true expert and dedicated partner to this aircraft,” says Eric Gallegos Bautista, CEO.

Backed by AFAC and FAA Part 145 certifications, with EASA approval underway, ATS GDL operates under rigorous international standards. This regulatory foundation is reinforced by workflow designs tailored to the ERJ 145’s high-frequency operating patterns, ensuring consistent quality and a reliable maintenance cadence across every component, from brakes and wheels to batteries.

Building on this deep expertise, ATS GDL extends its capabilities to additional platforms, including the EMB-175, EMB-190, CRJ200 and Boeing 737 family, bringing the same standard of reliability to every aircraft it services.

Unlocking Real-World Readiness

Nearly a decade of supporting rotables for a twelve-aircraft ERJ 145 fleet gave ATS GDL firsthand experience in high-cycle regional operations, revealing wear patterns, operational pressure points and the tempo that defines short-haul aviation. These insights laid the foundation for a highly responsive service model, underpinned by a predictable supply of certified components ready for rapid deployment.

Over the years, ATS GDL has further deepened this specialization. Its technicians have completed thousands of brake overhauls across major OEMs, including Goodrich/Honeywell, Meggitt and Safran. The hands-on experience revealed how ERJ-145 components respond to continuous heavy-cycle use—how carbon heat packs respond to thermal load, how wheels perform during rapid turnarounds and how batteries age under sustained utilization. These insights now drive maintenance strategies calibrated to real-world ERJ-145 operating patterns.

“Deep platform-specific expertise allows us to understand every wear pattern and deliver impeccable brake reliability,” says Mr. Gallegos.

Optimizing Operations Through Expert Maintenance

Efficiency drives regional aviation, and ATS GDL has engineered processes to deliver it systematically. Maintaining a detailed database of ERJ-145 brake performance enables it to adjust inspection intervals and deploy components relevant to actual in-service performance. This ensures units are returned to operation at the optimal point in their service cycle, strengthening reliability across a fleet.

Every overhaul adheres to applicable aviation directives, service bulletins, OEM requirements and established regulatory standards. Full traceability eliminates uncertainty when components move across jurisdictions.

Its production model, purpose-built for the ERJ 145, supports streamlined operations. The workshop features aircraft-specific tooling, custom workstations and lean workflows that reduce handling time and support consistent turnaround. Where regulations permit, ATS GDL incorporates FAA-approved PMA components as safe and cost-effective substitutes for selected OEM parts.

These efficiencies deliver direct financial value. Operators experience substantial savings through predictable service intervals—core priorities for regional carriers facing tight schedules.

Breakthroughs That Resolve Chronic Failures

Engineering insights come from years of observing how the ERJ-145 components behave under high-cycle, short-haul demands. That experience has led to focused refinements that directly address the platform’s most persistent pain points.

One example is its enhanced chemical stripping and cleaning process for carbon heat packs. This method removes residue that often masks micro-cracks or thermal damage, enabling more precise inspection and significantly reducing the risk of undetected failures.

Another advancement focuses on the shuttle valve, a small component, but critical to brake function. After identifying a recurring pattern of lock-ups linked to subtle wear inside the poppet valve, ATS GDL developed bench-test diagnostics capable of revealing early-stage degradation. This strengthened operational safety for operators.

Years of success with a Querétaro-based airline demonstrate the impact. The operator had faced persistent brake seizure events that triggered frequent delays. Previous providers responded by replacing brakes rather than identifying root causes.

ATS GDL replicated the failure during bench testing, discovered the precise wear point in the poppet valve and implemented a targeted replacement strategy. Within two months, delays related to brake seizure dropped by 99 percent. The airline has maintained this performance for nearly nine years, reporting annual savings exceeding $180,000 in direct brake maintenance costs.

Alliances That Keep Fleets Flying

Strategic collaborations reinforce ATS GDL’s technical depth and strengthen its ability to support ERJ-145 operators without disruption. Its long-standing relationship with Goodrich secures access to genuine parts, updated manuals, service letters and engineering support, ensuring every overhaul remains fully aligned with OEM specifications.

ATS GDL works directly with airlines to translate technical mastery into practical fleet-support programs. These include customized rotable pool agreements and, in select cases, co-developed power-by-the-hour structures that provide predictable budgets and dependable component availability.

Global supply-chain alliances enhance operational resilience. A long-term agreement with Aerovision International in Michigan supports high-volume overhaul programs for ERJ-145 brakes, wheels and batteries while a parallel partnership with a Bogotá-based aviation vendor enables efficient component exchange throughout Latin America.

Mexico’s favorable customs framework amplifies this efficiency. Aircraft components entering the country for repair and returned abroad are exempt from standard import duties, enabling fast, low-friction cross-border movement. In practice, this streamlined logistics environment remains highly cost-efficient, with operators covering international shipping while maintaining meaningful per-unit savings.

Future-Ready Maintenance Delivering Tangible Value

A new phase of growth is driven by the operational strengths. ATS GDL will be partnering with a major aviation aftermarket broker to initiate generator starter capability, establishing a new production line that will support ERJ 145 engines and auxiliary power units. The company has also been awarded a contract to support a new start-up airline as it introduces new Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, further underscoring its growing role in maintaining next-generation regional platforms.

The most significant milestone ahead is the anticipated EASA certification. Currently, European operators are supported through FAA-tagged units that are subsequently recertified by a U.S.-based facility holding EASA approval. Once its own approval is secured, this extra step will be eliminated, reducing costs for customers and allowing direct shipment of compliant components into Europe. This capability positions ATS GDL to serve an expanding global fleet with greater efficiency and reach, from aircraft transitioning into cargo roles to newly delivered E-Jets entering service.

Aviation Technical Services GDL is solidifying its place as a decisive force in aircraft maintenance, widening its capabilities and delivering the operational certainty operators need across a growing range of aircraft platforms.