Applications come and go, but aircraft and maintenance data is forever. That rule is becoming more important in the digital age. Correlating maintenance with operational data can yield big gains in reliability, revenue and cost reductions. New aircraft will yield much more data helpful to maintenance. Unstructured data such as pilot and mechanic notes also can be exploited. New maintenance models, with technicians ready for problems as aircraft hit gates, require speed as well as power.

GKN is a global engineering business with operations in more than 30 countries, employing more than 42,000 people. Its aerospace operation is a major supplier of complex composite structures and focuses on the three major product areas of aerostructures, propulsion systems and transparencies in addition to specialty products. In November, GKN partnered with Airbus, AgustaWestland, Rolls-Royce, Umeco and Vestas to open the 8,500 sq. meter national composites center in the U.K. GKN is a founding member of the U.K.'s national composites network, launched in 2005.

AFI KLM E&M has appointed Paul Chün as managing director of KLM UK Engineering, a wholly owned subsidiary of AFI KLM E&M that specializes in regional aircraft maintenance solutions. Chün comes to the position after five years at the helm of Epcor, another subsidiary of AFI KLM E&M.

Turkish Technic has joined Airbus' worldwide MRO network. Airbus established the network in March 2005 and has since worked with its members to establish performance benchmarks for maintenance efficiency. The MRO also signed an agreement with 328 Design to work on interior modification projects. Engines

Lufthansa Technik Malta is installing its third new first-class cabin in a Lufthansa Airbus A340-600. The airline plans to convert to the luxury cabins in its 24 A340-600s by 2015. The turnaround time for installing the seats—which are the same as on Lufthansa's Airbus A380—is 15-20 days, says Lufthansa Technik spokesman Wolfgang Reinert. However, the MRO says that the airline has chosen to build the interior installation into planned maintenance layovers to avoid grounding the aircraft for longer than necessary.

On June 27, 2011, Australia's new Civil Aviation Safety Authority Part 145 regulations took effect, superseding the old Australian civil aviation regulation CAR 30 governing maintenance organizations. The new mandates, based on EASA Part 145, introduce a uniform set of national requirements for organizations providing maintenance services and elevate Australia's efforts to proactively mitigate risk in maintenance to the level of its European counterparts.

Quantum Composites, the engineered structural composites business of The Composites Group, obtained AS 9100C:2009-01 quality certification, along with ISO 9001:2008 compliance. The certificates cover the design and manufacture of the trademarked engineered structural composites design of compression molded components and related tooling as well as the fabrication of molded composite prototypes.

Mxi Technologies has implemented its Maintenix aviation maintenance software for Airod. The Malaysian MRO has chosen a comprehensive footprint that covers maintenance planning, execution, engineering and materials functions.