What Are The MRO Market Trends Going To Be in 2019?

Small and medium-size aftermarket companies with a niche or specific targeted technology will be sought by bigger aftermarket companies. The M&A market was competitive in 2018 and will continue to be in 2019. There is an appetite for acquisitions.

Fewer conversations will be about “who owns the data,” focusing instead on the added value that translates it into meaningful information. The industry will move beyond the hype, and the pressure for platforms to prove their value will be strong.

Engine OEMs finish tackling the early teething problems of new-generation engines and successfully ramp up deliveries to unprecedented levels.

MRO shop capacity is tight in many places around the world. For airframe maintenance, this is resulting in carriers signing longer-term airframe contracts. For engine maintenance, which is also constrained by availability of key parts, this will result in booking slots farther out and price pressure on parts for popular models.

Additive manufacturing moves beyond an experimental emerging technology toward industrialization, as the aviation industry demonstrates consistency, repeatability and high quality—the elements required to successfully industrialize.

Expect new MROs to open and create formidable competition, North American and European MROs to continue adding local presence in Asia, and a few existing Asian MROs to aggressively seek deeper capabilities in their quest to become one-stop shops.

There will be more partnerships between MROs, as well as MROs and OEMs. For the latter, these will allow MROs to gain access to intellectual property and be part of the OEM networks to generate enough volume to justify investing in new platforms.

If airlines continue to be profitable, which they should in 2019, expect to see maintenance labor rates increase. This started in 2018 and should continue due to supply and demand.

Forward-thinking MROs will implement tools such as voice technology for hands-free maintenance, virtual reality, augmented reality and paperless MRO environments in greater numbers in 2019 to improve technicians’ maintenance processes.