If there are winners in a high-stakes, high-expectations program that generated a mere 262 orders in its first 13 years, then the engine OEM with a 55% share of the business would qualify. Measuring by total aircraft in service and awaiting delivery, the Engine Alliance (EA) GP7200 is the preferred powerplant for Airbus A380 customers, winning 134 of 243 orders with engine choices specified. (Three orders on the books—officially, at least—totaling 19 aircraft remain without engine choices.)

Ordered all operators to check certain Honeywell units, related wiring

Growth in line maintenance demand and a shortage of engineers combined to lower the heavy maintenance workload and revenues at Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering’s high-profile Hong Kong operations in the first half of 2013, the company reports. Heavy maintenance worker hours at Haeco Hong Kong dipped 17.5%, to 1.3 million in the six months ended June 30.  Part of the decline was offset by line maintenance contracts, where aircraft handled per day at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) increased by seven to 326. 

The FAA, prompted by a NTSB recommendation, is at long last updating decades-old airline maintenance program development guidance that conflicts with similar, newer material.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines yesterday conducted inspections of their Boeing 787 fleets after faulty wiring was discovered by ANA in an engine fire extinguisher. ANA discovered improper wiring in the engine fire extinguisher of a 787 during a pre-takeoff inspection, and subsequently found the problem in two more of its 787s.

Almost 20 years into the program, many Boeing 777 parts are still scarce and expensive in aftermarket trading. This may be what the future looks like for other new models that rely on OEMs and long-term agreements for future support. A majority of 777 parts are in short supply, according to Zilvinas Sadauskas, CEO of Locatory.com. “Only 20% of 777 inventories may be found on the open market,” Sadauskas notes. Airframe, component and engine OEMs have maintained tight control of the market. Some engine OEMs buy old engines to secure their position in spares.

Rockwell Collins’ largest acquisition to date—purchasing communications and systems engineering provider, Arinc, for $1.39 billion from the Carlyle Group—will give the avionics maker its own end-to-end communications link between the ground and the flight deck, a connection that is fundamental to the FAA’s Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen).

EgyptAir Training Center has announced its capacity to conduct specialised maintenance training including electrical wiring interconnection system (EWIS) and damage assessment and reporting for aircraft maintenance engineers.