Japan Airlines Taps Mitsubishi Heavy Industries For MRO Collaboration

Japan Airlines and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have announced a partnership to explore potential aftermarket collaboration, including MRO services, parts supply and refurbishment.

Japan Airlines (JAL) said in a statement that the cooperation is aimed at addressing “various issues currently affecting the aircraft aftermarket.” The airline said its maintenance subsidiary, JAL Engineering Co., will be involved in the collaboration and noted Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ (MHI) MRO expertise—particularly calling out its capability in North America.

MHI’s MRO subsidiary, MHIRJ, operates from facilities across Canada and the U.S. and has recently added more platform-agnostic capabilities for aircraft such as the Airbus A220 and Embraer ERJ-145. MHI also has an engine MRO-focused subsidiary, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Aero Engines, which provides services for Pratt & Whitney PW4000, IAE V2500 and PW1100G-JM engines.

JAL and its subsidiary airlines operate a range of aircraft and engine platforms that could benefit from these capabilities. JAL’s fleet includes A350 and Boeing 737, 767, 777 and 787 aircraft, and it has commitments in place for more A350s and 787s, as well as A321neo and 737 MAX aircraft. Its cargo division, JAL Cargo, operates two 767-300BCFs, while its subsidiaries—Hokkaido Air System, J-Air, Japan Air Commuter, Japan Transocean Air, Ryukyu Air Commuter and Zipair—operate a mix of ATR, Boeing, Embraer and De Havilland Canada aircraft.

Although JAL Engineering Co. has a wide range of in-house maintenance capabilities, JAL works with several third-party maintenance providers. In an upcoming interview with Inside MRO magazine, the airline noted that it outsources heavy maintenance for approximately half of its aircraft to companies such as ST Engineering and HAECO Group. It also outsources Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engine maintenance to the OEM.

Yuki Nakai, JAL’s senior director of maintenance corporate planning and finance, also told Inside MRO that Japan’s aviation industry faces significant challenges in recruiting enough skilled technicians. Meanwhile, MHIRJ has recently found success deploying a range of labor recruiting and training initiatives at its MRO facility in Bridgeport, West Virginia. The company’s strategies could prove as a helpful model for JAL as it seeks to address labor challenges.

Aviation Week Network has reached out to JAL and MHIRJ for additional details about what the aftermarket collaboration will entail.