MADRID—MRO providers must rethink how they do business both with competitors and airlines, even if it means seemingly counter-intuitive moves like taking on more financial risk and cooperating with traditional rivals, several senior industry executives said during a panel at MRO Europe. “In the past, a lot of financial risk was taken by the operator,” TAP Maintenance & Engineering Vice President-Marketing and Sales Carlos Rulvo said. “Today, an MRO organization has to be willing to accept more of that themselves.”
MADRID—GE Aviation is increasing its investment in big data analytics to flag potential engine performance trouble spots and has used some of this learning to revamp its engine support portal, company executives said. Speaking at MRO Europe in Madrid, GE Aviation General Manager-Services Marketing Bill Dwyer said the company’s focus is now on prognostics, or using data to turn unscheduled events into scheduled maintenance.
MADRID—Executives from Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) and Bombardier Aerospace agreed there is still some way to go before bonded repairs will be accepted on primary composite structures. Regulators only allow bolt-on metal repairs to primary composite structures on the latest generation of aircraft—just like standard metallic-build versions—because of concerns over the strength, quality and durability of manually bonded repairs.
With the official launch of its first flights to Singapore, MIAT Mongolian Airlines has signaled its intention to significantly extend its east-west route network—potentially to the U.S. and Australia. The Mongolian flag carrier’s network also serves Japan, China, and Korea to the east, and Berlin and Moscow to the west, from its base at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
Philippine Airlines (PAL) has signaled it may defer an order with Airbus for at least some of the 46 aircraft it has on order from the manufacturer. “We have to discuss with Airbus,” PAL Executive VP and GM Jaime Bautista said. Bautista noted that any deferment would “entail cost,” but did not elaborate on the potential scale or scope of any changes. According to Airbus’s latest delivery schedule, PAL’s 46 outstanding orders include 25 A321ceos, 18 A321neos and 3 A330-300s.
Indonesian flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has placed an order for 50 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The contract is for 50 737 MAX-8s and includes a conversion of Garuda’s outstanding order for four 737-800s to the new aircraft type. Deliveries will start in the third quarter of 2017. The decision to confirm such a significant order may be part of CEO Emirsyah Satar’s drive to cut operating costs.
