MRO News Briefs, May 31-June 6, 2020

ITS To Perform B737 Teardown
ITS will begin tearing down a Boeing 737-800 formerly operated by SAS Scandinavian Airlines. It will take place in Wales, UK in late June. According to ITS, the 737 platform is a major focus and the company maintains a large volume of inventory at its Chandler, Arizona and Dublin, Ireland warehouses.

GA Telesis Launches Flight Solutions Group
GA Telesis has created a newly branded Flight Solutions Group, which will encompass all of its Component Solutions Group and two newly created divisions—GAT Logistics Solutions Group (LSG) and Tarmac Solutions Group (TSG). The new groups will manage logistics and warehousing solutions, and tooling and ground support equipment out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

BSA To Reopen Next Month
The British School of Aviation is reopening its training facility at London Luton Airport on July 6 under reduced student numbers in order to comply with social distancing. Its Seat 9 plan will implement a low-density class configuration of just nine students, as opposed to its previous intakes of 16.

Acumen Announces Bermudan CAMO Approval
Acumen Aviation, an aircraft asset management services provider, has confirmed a further expansion of its CAMO approval with the addition of VP – Registration CAMO approval from the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority.

Exostar Sold
U.S. defense prime contractors and aerospace OEMs will sell their 20-year-old industry consultancy Exostar to private equity buyer Thoma Bravo, the companies announced June 2. Financial details were not provided. While BAE Systems, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon Technologies and Rolls-Royce no longer will be owners, they will remain customers. Also selling its interest is giant pharmaceutical company Merck.

Acumen Expands CAMO
Acumen Aviation, an asset management services company in Dublin, added VP-Registration to its CAMO approval from the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority.

STS Hiring In Birmingham, UK
STS Aviation Services is hiring aircraft maintenance mechanics to work out of its aircraft maintenance facility in Birmingham, UK. The former Monarch Aircraft Engineering site re-opened in early 2020.

SpiceJet Completes Q400 Freighter Conversions
SpiceJet has converted three of its Bombardier Q400 passenger aircraft to freighters, increasing its total dedicated freighter fleet to eight aircraft. The airline says the aircraft have cargo capacity of 8.5 tons each and are well-suited for operations to Tier II and III cities and remote or hilly areas in India.

Hainan To Reduce MRO Division Stake
Hainan Airlines will reduce its stake in its HINA Technic MRO business to 68%. Hainan Island Airport Industrial Group, an airport infrastructure company affiliated to its parent group, will take the remaining shareholding in the MRO unit.

Piedmont Propulsion Systems Now Offering Model 568F Propeller Services
Piedmont Propulsion Systems says it has become the first independent MRO to offer complete major inspection support for the Model 568F propeller installed on the next-gen ATR family of turboprop aircraft, including removal and re-application of the blade compression wrap. It worked with the FAA to obtain release of the blade compression wrap removal and application process instructions, which were previously restricted to OEM-licensed facilities.