MRO Americas Preview: Pandemic Impacts and Moving Forward

Lindsay Bjerregaard April 21, 2021
“The most important asset that a company has is its people. And just like any good tool these assets require periodic maintenance and upkeep to maintain a good working process. We as managers of these skilled employees need to have periodic reviews to determine how to evolve the development and training to meet the next 5 years of advanced learning.” - Frank Stevens, VP global MRO centers, Embraer Aircraft Holding, Inc.
“As the aviation industry starts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for skilled aviation maintenance workforce is greater than ever. How will the MRO industry tackle this challenge? Is it through recruitment initiatives, effective onboarding processes, apprenticeship programs and talent retention, or will the workforce require a more holistic and strategic approach in tackling this challenge?” - Noel Casiño, VP, corporate quality & organizational development (VT San Antonio Aerospace), ST Engineering
“As with all of the most challenging times in our industry, we are seeing innovation accelerated by necessity. Collaboration and agility have been key over the past year and we see both remaining paramount as we look to the future of the aftermarket supply chain. Customer needs, expectations, and ways of conducting business are changing at lightning speed.” - Giovanni Spitale, VP of commercial parts, Boeing Global Services
“The pandemic has accentuated pressure testing the resilience of the supply chain. Prior to the pandemic, other significant events that impacted the aviation industry and beyond have conditioned us and our ability to partner and deliver upon our mutual objectives—reinforcing the need to evolve plans to protect our interests and our businesses.” - Drew Skaff, VP supply chain, Republic Airways
“Like airlines, OEMs face unprecedented pressure as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. How have they coped with dramatic cuts to production and aftermarket activity? How are they positioning for the future? Will the crisis accelerate the adoption of digital technologies?” - Kevin Michaels, managing director, AeroDynamic Advisory

Speakers from MRO Americas 2021 share insights about COVID-19’s impact on the industry and the way forward.

Lindsay Bjerregaard

Lindsay Bjerregaard is managing editor for Aviation Week’s MRO portfolio. Her coverage focuses on MRO technology, workforce, and product and service news for MRO Digest, Inside MRO and Aviation Week Marketplace.