Aviation Week MRO

Norm Baker joined Airbus senior vice president of digital solutions about a year ago from GE Aviation Czech where he was president, and before that, president and CEO of Taleris, a joint venture between GE and Accenture. Baker, an A&P, commercial pilot and Six Sigma Black Belt, talks about how he quickly led Airbus’ digital solutions from developing products to developing capabilities—and its impact.

With being compliant critical for airlines, one Swedish company is exploring an easier and better way to update manuals.

Of all structural elements on aircraft, carbon fiber materials have been the most arduous to recycle.

WZL2, a veteran repair specialist of military and small aircraft maintenance, has opened its doors for commercial models.

The Germany-based 3D specialist is introducing more productive machines for printing metal and polymer parts.

While there is positive momentum for filling the future aviation mechanic workforce needs, not all metrics are good.

Canadian carrier First Air sheds paper for deferred maintenance logbook, will seek paperless docs in future.

RUAG Australia is collaborating on a two-year project to investigate laser metal deposition’s uses for component repair and manufacturing.

The Japanese MRO will open with four hangar bays for aircraft maintenance and painting, with plans for capability expansion.

AirBaltic, based in Latvia, is expanding its in-house maintenance capabilities as it alters its fleet.

Virgin Atlantic's 2018 saw highly publicized issues with its Boeing 787 fleet. Phil Wardlaw, vice president of engineering and maintenance services at the UK airline, talks to James Pozzi about how it has addressed these problems while updating on plans to grow its day-to-day operation.

Interest in the MRO industry continued this week with StandardAero's re-purchase by The Carlyle Group and TAT's sale of Sabena technics.

The company’s special missions interior team created multi-purpose cabins to provide a functional and comfortable environment for patients and medical staff.

WZL2 signs up for Commsoft's OASES software to support its fledgling commercial operations.

Smart retirement aircraft policy must take many factors into account.

Most, if not all of the CF6-powered aircraft will likely be converted to freighters with acquisitions set to begin next year.

The acquisition by a consortium of private equity firms is expected to be finalized in the second quarter of 2019, subject to regulatory approvals.

Reliability stood at 98.75% for single-aisle fleet averaging 9.1 years old according to IATA’s latest Maintenance Cost Task Force survey.

The Carlyle Group will purchase StandardAero for a second time; closing the deal by March 31, 2019.

AAR needs to find more mechanics to help it grow and is proactively working with colleges, the latest in Chicago, to foster the skills students need.

Airframe manufacturing's big two have been growing their activities in China with new announcements in December.

Manchester-based Aeroco, which specializes in cabin maintenance and upgrades for UK and EU carriers, does not foresee any downturn yet.

CFM56 shop-visits still on rise and should exceed 3,000 annually in the 2025 timeframe.

The order announced on Dec. 12 includes an aftermarket agreement with Rolls-Royce for the aircraft's Trent 7000 engines.

The maintenance and engineering division of All Nippon Airways is the driver of the new venture, which is supposed to begin operating in January 2019 performing airframe heavy maintenance in Okinawa.