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United plans to outfit roughly 40 aircraft monthly through December.
Highlights
United Begins Starlink Installations on Regional Fleet
United Airlines has begun installations of the Starlink internet on its regional-partner aircraft and expects to outfit more than 300 by year-end.
The first to be equipped with the service is an Embraer 175 operated by SkyWest Airlines. Beginning in May the carrier plans to outfit roughly 40 aircraft per month through December to reach its target.
While it is starting with its regional two-cabin fleet, United ultimately will add Starlink to all its aircraft through a full rollout planned for the next few years. United anticipates installing Starlink on its first mainline aircraft by year-end, although it is not yet disclosing on which aircraft type.
During installations, each aircraft is taken out of service for four days from start to finish for the following process: removing the existing service, fitting the new equipment, testing and other work. New equipment to be installed includes an internal reinforcement structure, external antenna and main cabin wireless access points and power supply. The average Starlink installation takes about 8 hr., the carrier says.
Qatar Airways Ramps Up IFE Capabilities
Qatar Airways is planning to establish an inflight entertainment maintenance hub amid its recent ramp-up in installations of the Starlink high-speed internet.
The airline signed a memorandum of understanding with Thales Feb. 25 to establish a dedicated inflight entertainment (IFE) service and maintenance center in Doha that will provide quick access to repair, spares, distribution, technical assistance and line maintenance for Thales’ full range of IFE products.
The company’s IFE equipment is found on several aircraft types in Qatar’s fleet, including its Boeing 787-8s and Airbus A350s and A380s. The airline’s new A321NX fleet also will be equipped with Thales’ FlytEDGE cloud-native IFE platform.
The carrier recently ramped up its timeline for Starlink installations on its Boeing 777s as well, cutting installation time by nearly three-quarters. It plans to begin installations on its A350s this summer.
ST Engineering To Consolidate U.S. MRO Operations
ST Engineering announced on March 6 it will consolidate its MRO operations in the U.S., transferring work carried out at VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering (VT MAE) in Mobile, Alabama, to the company’s sites in Pensacola, Florida, and San Antonio.
ST Engineering Commercial Aerospace President Jeffrey Lam says the strategic move is aimed at streamlining operations while adding newer, more modern facilities as part of ongoing expansion plans.
ST Engineering said the move will play out over the next few months. The company said it is providing support to Mobile employees, including redeployment opportunities to other U.S. facilities, as well as outplacement and transition assistance.
ST Engineering is building a third hangar, with two widebody aircraft bays, at the Pensacola site so it will have four hangars eventually.
MRO Laureate Winners
The Aviation Supply Chain Integrity Coalition was awarded Aviation Week Network’s MRO Grand Laureate March 6 for its efforts to identify solutions to prevent unauthorized parts from entering the market. The coalition is comprised of Airbus, American Airlines, Boeing, Delta Air Lines, GE Aerospace, Safran, StandardAero and United Airlines. After a nine-month investigation, the coalition recommended 13 actions to close gaps and add layers of safety to strengthen the supply chain.
The other MRO Laureate winners are:
The Aerospace Maintenance Council, which for 12 years has hosted the Aerospace Maintenance Competition at Aviation Week Network’s MRO Americas show. The competition brings together teams of five to compete in hands-on, judged and timed competitions that highlight the knowledge, skill and integrity that are essential to return aircraft to airworthy status.
Embraer Aircraft Maintenance Services, which went paperless at its Nashville, Tennessee, heavy maintenance facility to shorten airframe time checks amid full hangars and rising demand. By digitalizing task cards, the company streamlined communication on issues such as nonroutine work approval.
Lufthansa Technik AeroShark, a sharkskin-inspired surface film technology that optimizes airflow and reduces emissions for passenger and cargo aircraft. Codeveloped by Lufthansa Technik and BASF, AeroShark has exceeded its design expectations in fuel burn and service lifetime.
Tarmac Aerosave, which is helping Airbus recover around 90% of aircraft weight through recycling at the companies’ recently opened Airbus Lifecycle Services Center in Chengdu, China. It is also working with ATR to increase recyclability of turboprop aircraft.
MRO Event in China To Launch in 2026
China Aviation Supplies Holding Co. (CAS) and Informa Markets’ Aviation Week Network (AWN) signed a long-term strategic cooperation agreement on March 19 to create an international MRO Greater China Expo.
The inaugural event for international aviation maintenance and operations will occur in Beijing in May 2026. As the latest addition to AWN’s global MRO event series, MRO Greater China will serve as a bridge for Chinese aviation enterprises to extend their global reach and enable the introduction of global technologies into the China market.
Leveraging the industry expertise of CAS and AWN, both parties are committed to establishing a new platform for MRO and the aviation supply chain, further advancing China’s integration with international aviation markets. This strategic collaboration will allow CAS to promote deeper communication and international cooperation in the global aviation maintenance and operations sector.
Contracts
AFI KLM E&M has won a 10-year Air Canada contract to provide component support for its projected fleet of 58 Boeing 787s, plus 12 options.
AAR was selected by Cebu Pacific to provide CFM International CFM56 nacelle maintenance and repair for its Airbus A320ceos out of Chonburi, Thailand.
Boeing extended its Cyclean engine-wash support contract with Lufthansa Technik for Pratt & Whitney PW2000-powered C-17s through 2027.
GE Aerospace renewed its CT7-2E1 TrueChoice service agreement with Denmark’s Bel Air Aviation for three Leonardo AW189 helicopters.
Gulf Air signed a memorandum of understanding with SalamAir to provide technical services including line and base maintenance for its projected fleet of six A320neos and nine A321neos.
HAECO was selected by Tigerair Taiwan to perform end-of-lease checks in Hong Kong on five Airbus A320ceos in 2026-28.
Jordan Airmotive was selected by FTAI Aviation as its partner to provide CFM56-5B maintenance and overhaul.
Lufthansa Technik was selected by China’s Hebei Airlines to perform CFM56-7B maintenance at Hamburg, Germany.
Satair was selected by VietjetAir to provide its Integrated Material Services program for A320s and A330s.
SriLankan Engineering was selected by Malaysia Airlines to provide Boeing 737 MAX line maintenance at Colombo. It also renewed its line maintenance deal with Gulf Air.
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