The aircraft branding and liveries market has faced some challenges recently, especially due to the industry supply chain conundrum.
“There is a slowdown in the global supply of high-quality certified films that are required for printing,” says Maksim Jurkov, head of design at J&C Aero, a Lithuania-based design, production, maintenance and continuing airworthiness management organization.
Jurkov also highlights availability issues with painting slots during the maintenance season because of the large number of aircraft returning to service and industry labor shortages becoming more acute post-pandemic.
“We have short turnaround times in terms of livery printing, and we always keep our film stocks at maximum capacities,” he says. “Printed liveries also allow us to install liveries without the need for a hangar slot or complicated painting facilities.”
Jurkov says one of the main market challenges is fleet availability. With passenger numbers soaring following the pandemic period, he says some airlines have not kept up with the growing demand—either due to parked aircraft that require extensive maintenance before reintroduction to service or lack of crew. Therefore, he sees airlines turning to ACMI operators and ordering both external and internal rebranding of leased aircraft.
“In terms of external branding, the application of temporary decal livery is a perfect solution because it does not require a hangar slot [considering the huge shortage during the maintenance season] and this can be done within one to three days,” says Jurkov.
Concurrently, J&C Aero sees more airlines bringing additional uniqueness into their brands, which drives the demand for more complex liveries that combine decals and painting. “This includes liveries dedicated to corporate and state-related anniversaries, national sports teams and so on,” says Jurkov. “Another source of demand is the replacement of damaged parts, for instance, rudders and nose radomes. These spare parts are usually supplied in standard white but with decal application, and they can easily be fitted to the aircraft existing livery.”
J&C Aero completed its 700th aircraft branding project in September, which entailed producing and installing livery on two Bombardier CRJ200s operated by Spanish regional airline Air Nostrum. The project involved significant collaboration with Air Nostrum Engineering and Maintenance at Valencia Airport in Spain.
J&C Aero produced Air Nostrum’s livery in-house at its printing shop and installed livery elements on the two CRJ200s, covering winglets, engines and the fuselage.
Jurkov says close ties with MROs and airline engineering divisions are fundamental for such projects. “We have long-term cooperation with many MRO companies, both airline-related and independent, that subcontract us for ad hoc cases or larger projects,” he says. “We also have a decade-long relationship with specialist painting providers, including Satys and MAAS Aviation, whom we support with the production of challenging liveries.”
J&C Aero’s in-house painting capabilities cover exterior and interior element painting, including corporate jet cabins with wood veneer lacquer system application. “In cases where a livery has a lot of details, we can offer high-resolution printing as well,” Jurkov adds.
