Can you pinpoint one or two industry trends that emerged in 2013? One could argue that the debates about OEMs' increasing penetration of the aftermarket became more vociferous this year. But did they? While safety issues will be mainly black or white, many MRO issues have shifted to shades of gray.
When Northern European and North Atlantic air traffic came to halt in 2010 following the eruption of the Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajokull, Air France Industries KLM Engineering and Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) continued to serve its customers by shipping parts and components from its operations in Miami and Kuala Lumpur. This is one example of the risk-management initiative supporting its supply chain operations, say Benjamin Moreau and Harmen Lanser, members of the component services team.
Joint purchasing of MRO is not novel and did exist before the present airline alliances were formed, points out ICF SH&E's Vice President David Stewart.
Aviation's “Dirty Dozen” pinpoints the 12 most common root causes of human error in maintenance, but new human-performance research indicates several of these 12 are linked by one underlying problem: something psychologist Kaye Baron calls “mental debris.” Fatigue, stress, distraction, communication, awareness—all can potentially trace their roots to this single issue.
1. Fixer-Uppers Supplier: Pacific Aero Tech Offering: Pacific Aero Tech's focus has included repairing and servicing aircraft windows and other transparencies since 1987. The company also boasts one of the industry's largest and most diverse inventories of aircraft windows. The company's capabilities encompass servicing wingtip and landing lenses, windshields and cabin windows on most Airbus and Boeing aircraft. www.mcnally-group.com/pacificaerotech
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) are harmonizing their approaches to inspecting foreign aircraft under the European Union's Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft (SAFA) program.
1. Growing Stronger Supplier: Aeroxchange Offering: Founded in July 2000 by 13 airlines to create a global, neutral eCommerce platform to support the aviation supply chain, Aeroxchange is still going strong. It allows users to outsource their electronic data interface strategy, providing a seamless connection among trading partners. www.aeroxchange.com Link 605 2. Straight From The Source Supplier: Flatirons Solutions
AIM Aviation has begun building a new factory adjacent to its Galleys Div. in Byfleet, England. The new facility will add 31,000 sq. ft. of production and testing capability, bringing total space to 80,000 sq. ft. Completion is targeted for summer 2014.
A scan of recent supply chain- and logistics-related product announcements underscores that aviation is placing a premium on keeping real-time tabs on high-value goods. On the production line, manufacturers are marking parts with tags designed to help everyone from line mechanics to vendors. In the aftermarket, using sophisticated sensors to monitor parts and key shipments—from components sent to bail out a grounded aircraft to the tooling needed to do the job—is becoming bigger business.
As the only all-new engine developed for one of the most ambitious aircraft models built in the jet age, General Electric's GE90 family has more than held its own. Nearly three out of every four Boeing 777s delivered are powered by GE90s, and the percentage will only grow—every undelivered current-generation 777 listed in Boeing's backlog is slated to have GE power as well. Boeing figures show 991 777s delivered through Sept. 30, including 730 powered by GE90s. Another 328 777s—a mix of -200LRs, -300ERs and freighters—remain on order.
Rapid advances in technology and materials, along with intensified competition for passenger loyalty, are driving a wave of innovation and investment in aircraft interiors. The hallmarks of today's newest cabins are improved materials, hardware design and technologies that enable faster, more effective maintenance. In the past few months alone, major carriers have announced these actions:
The global nature of aviation maintenance means technicians from different countries and cultures can suddenly find themselves working side by side. When this occurs, maintenance organizations face an added layer of complexity in the area of human factors.
Like many MRO industry verticals, the mechanical component market has its share of top-tier suppliers entering the aftermarket, either through organic growth or acquisition. Major roles in new aircraft programs give manufacturers such as Moog inside tracks to lucrative aftermarket opportunities. But, as companies like Avtron Aerospace and Heico prove, there is still plenty of room for innovative independent suppliers. 1. Focused On Motion Supplier: Moog
Integrating process management software into an MRO operation is no longer cutting-edge—it is core to an efficient operation's success. MRO providers benefit from a range of choices, from products developed by providers that want to solve their own problems to technology companies that look at aircraft maintenance management challenges and see endless opportunities to help a surging part of the aviation industry. 1. Wings Aloft Supplier: Applied Database Technology
Eliminating unplanned aircraft downtime would be a good thing, right? Imagine how operating assets that do not prematurely fail would optimize your operations. The productivity gains and cost savings would be immense. Perhaps you think I am taking a utopian view of operations, but if your company and employees are not striving for innovation at the highest level, will you ever get there?
Europe The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), concerned about the number of reports of defective fasteners, is developing a certification memorandum that will advise product developers to take steps to ensure the quality of so-called standards nuts and bolts (see photo).
