Aftermarket News from MRO Americas 2021

8tree and Panasonic Avionics Partnership

Credit: Lindsay Bjerregaard/AW&ST

After announcing plans to build a service provider network in late 2020, 8tree announced a partnership with Panasonic Avionics that will make its dentCHECK tool for dent mapping a service that is available at some of Panasonic Technical Services’ regional line stations, including Los Angeles (LAX), London Heathrow (LHR) and Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD). 8tree says service network partnerships like this will benefit smaller MROs and operators by giving them access to damage mapping and reporting without needing to purchase the dentCHECK tool themselves.

Embraer Services Agreements

Credit: Embraer

Embraer signed a heavy maintenance services agreement with CommutAir for its fleet of Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft. Under the multi-year agreement, Embraer Aircraft Maintenance Services will provide maintenance, modifications and repair services from its facility in Macon, Georgia.

Embraer also signed multi-year agreements for its Embraer Collaborative Inventory Planning program with Brazilian carrier Azul Linhas Aereas Brasileiras and U.S.carrier Republic Airways. It will manage the planning and replenishment of a large portion of both airlines’ spare parts stock requirements covering E-Jet and E-Jet E2 aircraft in their fleets.

Spirit AeroSystems MRO Acquisition

Credit: Applied Aerodynamics

Spirit AeroSystems announced its acquisition of the assets of Texas-based MRO Applied Aerodynamics. It says the acquisition will enable it to conduct a wider range of repairs on more products, such as composite repairs including radomes, flight controls, lats, slats, flaps, spoilers, ailerons, winglets and main landing gear doors for Boeing 737/747/757/767/787 and Airbus A320 and A321 models. It says the broadened service portfolio will help North American customers be more competitive by reducing administrative hassles and costs while increasing quality and turnaround times. It plans to expand the capabilities of Applied Aerodynamics to its other MRO locations over the next year, including in Wichita, Kansas; Western Europe, North Africa and East Asia.

New Cabin Cargo Option

Credit: Finnair

Lufthansa Technik and Airbus announced a joint solution for temporarily carrying cargo in the cabin of Airbus A330 family aircraft. The Temporary Cargo Cabin offering comprises the Supplemental Type Certificate and material kits to modify A330s for temporary cargo transport, increasing cargo capacity by up to 15 tons of additional payload depending on aircraft configuration. Finnair is the first airline to modify an A330-300 with the solution to carry commercial, non-dangerous goods in the main passenger deck.

Barfield and Donecle Partnership

Credit: Donecle

AFI KLM E&M subsidiary Barfield signed an agreement to partner with Donecle to sell and support its aircraft inspection drone solution in the Americas. The agreement follows Barfield’s recent partnership with Robotic Skies, which is building a global network of maintenance centers for unmanned aircraft system (UAS) fleets.

AFI KLM E&M Support Developments

AFI KLM E&M signed a long-term support contract with Gulf Air to provide pool access, repair, advanced pool and transportation support for the airline’s fleet of Airbus A320neo/ceo and A321 neo/ceo aircraft. Under the agreement, AFI KLM E&M will provide comprehensive component maintenance by-the-hour support covering component exchange, repair, overhaul modification, reliability monitoring and logistics services.

AFI KLM E&M also launched its MRO service offerings for the Airbus A220 in anticipation of Air France beginning service of the aircraft type at the end of 2021. To enable nose-to-tail components support, it is building up its dedicated in-house capabilities, investing in inventories and adapting engineering skills.

L3 Harris Agreements

Credit: L3 Harris

OEMServices was selected by L3Harris Technologies as a global AOG logistics support supplier for its commercial avionics products. Under the partnership, OEMServices will provide line-fit and buyer-furnished equipment from L3Harris for airlines. It says being able to offer L3Harris products as part of customers’ supply chain and serviceability agreements will increase repair and AOG productivity while optimizing costs and aircraft downtime.

L3 Harris Technologies also selected InterSky Precision Instruments as an authorized distributor for commercial avionics products. Under the agreement, InterSky will maintain strategic inventory for L3 Harris products such as TCAS, transponders, SATCOM, cockpit voice and flight data recorders and ground support equipment.

C&L Aerospace Teardowns

Credit: Lindsay Bjerregaard/AW&ST

C&L Aerospace announced that it has purchased nine Embraer ERM 145 aircraft from a European-based operator for teardown, including 14 AE3007 Rolls-Royce engines. The teardowns are taking place in Clermont-Ferrand, France with an expected completion in October 2021 before parts will become available at C&L’s global warehouses, with the majority being stored at its main headquarters in Bangor, Maine.

New OEMServices Offering

Credit: OEMServices

OEMServices launched its new “100% Flyback Guarantee” service, which uses cloud-based technology and real time flight data analytics to monitor component reliability, optimize inventory and improve dispatch reliability through reduced component defects, flight delays and cancellations. It says the service combines its OEM supply chain logistics expertise with its component MRO integrated services, and that it will leverage digital twin technology to improve cost and time-efficiency of MRO services for airlines.