Early 2021 North America MRO News Roundup

New StandardAero Agreements

Credit: StandardAero

StandardAero recently signed multiple long-term distribution and license agreements with Honeywell Aerospace, authorizing it to perform OEM approved repairs on Honeywell hydromechanical units, fuel controls, pneumatic valves, actuators, regulators, starters and fuel pumps. The agreements include approximately 75 components for CF6, CFM56, GEnX and LEAP engines, as well as components on other mature fleets. It will perform repairs at its Hialeah and Fort Myers, Florida locations.

It also entered into an agreement to acquire Signature Aviation’s Engine Repair and Overhaul business, which includes Dallas Airmotive, H&S Aviation, W.H. Barrett Turbine Engine Company, International Governor Services and International Turbine Service. The transaction is expected to close in mid-2021.

Delta TechOps Begins Welcoming Trent 7000

Credit: Delta TechOps

Delta TechOps recently completed the first engine maintenance visit of a Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 engine at its Technical Operations Center in Atlanta. It says the engine, from a Delta Air Lines Airbus A330-900neo, marked the first of many Trent 7000 engine repairs that will come through the facility from worldwide airline customers. To prepare for service on the engine type, its teams spent months in preparation, including aviation maintenance technicians and inspectors visiting the Rolls-Royce shop in the UK for special Trent 7000 training.

New FEAM Facilities

Credit: FEAM

FEAM plans to open its expanded maintenance facility in Miami, Florida by June 2021. The 37,000 ft.² hangar will be able to accommodate all narrowbody aircraft types as well as the Boeing 767 and will provide services including letter checks, interior upgrades, structural repairs and avionics modifications.

FEAM is also launching new facilities at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS). The new outpost at LAX will provide line maintenance, on-wing AOG support, structures and avionics support, and engine stand conversion technical support. The AUS station will offer line maintenance, structures and avionics support.

AAR Gender Equity Initiative

Credit: AAR

AAR has hired its first all-female cohort of aircraft maintenance technicians at its Miami, Florida facility. The cohort is participating in a research study led by the University of Nebraska Omaha and the Department of Transportation’s Women in Aviation Task Force to investigate how to make aviation maintenance career paths more attainable and inviting to women. The group has been teamed up with women already working in technical positions at the Miami facility and AAR began conducting focus group meetings with the women in February 2021.

Engine Nacelles Joint Venture

Credit: AFI KLM E&M

AFI KLM E&M and Triumph Group have announced plans to form a joint venture to overhaul nacelles for next-generation aircraft in the U.S. Based at Triumph’s repair facility in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the new JV will cater to customers in the Americas with a new service line that will have a volume of more than 23,000 ft.². The JV will build on an existing partnership the companies unveiled at the 2019 Paris Air Show.

Envoy Air Expands Springfield Facilities

Credit: Envoy Air

American Airlines subsidiary Envoy Air has announced plans to move into a new, larger facility at Springfield-Branson National Airport to accommodate service on its newer Embraer E175 aircraft. The new facility will have room to house three E175s simultaneously in the hangar, as well as additional room for more aircraft outside and dedicated areas for parts storage, training and administration. Envoy is planning to have the new facility operational by the third of fourth quarter of 2021.

VSE Corporation MRO Growth

Credit: HAECO

VSE Aviation, a division of VSE Corporation, recently entered into an exclusive, five-year distribution agreement with Triumph Systems & Support as part of its new Aviation Landing Gear initiative. The approximately $100 million agreement will make VSE the exclusive distributor of more than 150 line-replaceable units and 1,6000 landing gear accessories supporting current, in-production Airbus and Boeing platforms. It will also provide support to commercial airline and MRO customers through global distribution centers

VSE Corporation also recently acquired HAECO Special Services, which provides MRO support solutions for military and government aircraft from two hangar locations in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Global Engine Maintenance Expands CFM56 Portfolio

Credit: Global Engine Maintenance

Doral, Florida-based engine shop Global Engine Maintenance has expanded its CFM56 repair portfolio by adding services for the -5B variant. The facility already offered services such as engine performance restorations, hospital visits and piece part overhauls for the CFM56-3 and CFM56-7B, so it says the expansion into the -5B was a natural extension of the -7B program. It says commonality between the engine variants sped up the expansion process, which mainly entailed updating its ERP system, building tools and training its technicians.