Component maintenance providers have told Aviation Week Network that parts and materials shortages continue to affect turnaround times, although they are deploying various strategies to mitigate ongoing supply chain challenges
“Turnaround times remain under pressure, largely due to the all-too-familiar supply chain delays and extended lead times on spare parts,” says Scott Symington, chief commercial officer of UK-based AJW Group. “To offset this, we rely heavily on USM [used serviceable material] where available and on our substantial serviceable inventories, which allow us to keep customers’ fleets operational.”
It is a similar story at AAR, where Jim Berberet, the U.S. MRO provider’s senior vice president of component services, says that “from adhesives to piece parts, shortages have impacted our component repair.” Turnaround times have suffered, he adds, with AAR responding by developing repairs and using USM where customers agree.
However, supply of USM also remains tight due to the extended service lives and delayed retirement of many popular aircraft, although this can boost the repair side of the business.
“With the continued shortage of spare parts and older aircraft not being retired or parted out at the pace expected, operators are relying more heavily on repair service providers such as AJW, so our component MRO repairs are thriving,“ says Symington. “To support this, we’ve invested in inventory, ensuring we can meet these demand trends and provide customers with consistent, reliable component availability.”
Technology also has a role in MRO providers’ response to supply chain difficulties. Symington explains how AJW is using digital tools to predict demand variations and ensure better provisioning, with artificial intelligence-supported technology updating these forecasts in real time. “This is then fed to our supply chain team to ensure parts are provisioned as early as possible in the process,” he says.
For a full analysis of the component maintenance market, see the upcoming October issue of Inside MRO.
Related Content
