Thales and British Airways have entered into a new agreement for component repair and overhaul based at British Airways Avionics Engineering in South Wales, U.K. The facility has the ability to repair and overhaul more than 3,000 different components.
No longer relegated to supplying mere nuts and bolts, parts manufacturer approval (PMA) is providing more of the flight-critical constituents of some of the industry's most popular powerplants. Many carriers are not just accepting the non-OEM parts, they are actually pleading for more product. Still, persistent pushback to that product persists. For all the strides the industry has made, PMA market share is mired at about 5%–even in the face of robust growth.
Swiss-AS will provide its Amos MRO software to Transaero Airlines, the second Russian airline to choose the software. The implementation project is planned to last 14-16 months. Transaero will use Amos' interface landscape that links the software to Boeing toolbox functions, which allows for electronic transfer of taskcards between the programs. Swiss-AS added 11 new customers from Europe, Asia and the Americas in 2011. Training
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.
Snecma Morocco Engine Services (SMES) has been certified by EASA and the FAA to carry out MRO services on the CFM International CFM56-5B engine. SMES is a jointly owned subsidiary of Snecma.
AeroMechanical Services has signed a contract with a Canadian airline for seven automated flight information reporting systems (Afirs 220) and 12 next-generation model Afirs 228B for 19 aircraft. AeroMechanical Services will install the equipment on Boeing 737-200, 767-200F and ATR-42/-72 aircraft.
FL Technics Training has added widebody maintenance training to its list of training programs, made possible by acquiring Storm Aviation at the end of 2011. The EASA Part 147-certified MRO adds the capability to more than 150 practical and theoretical courses and narrowbody training.
Boeing is a founding member of the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association, formed in 2006. Since 2004, the company has been researching and developing ways to recycle composites, starting with carbon fiber reinforced plastic from F-18 aircraft and then scrap from the Boeing 777 and Boeing 787. More than 50,000 lb. of carbon fiber are used to construct each 787 airframe, most of which should be salvageable at the end of its life.
ELG Carbon Fibre recycles carbon fibers with a patented process at its facility in West Midlands, U.K. Its commercial operation processes more than 2,000 tons of carbon composite waste per year from national and international companies. ELG Carbon Fiber will collect scrap from customers and from companies that wish to ship it. Suitable types of recyclable material include carbon composites reinforced with fabric or epoxy, vinylester and polyester. ELG can recycle dry fiber, pre-impregnated material that is cured or uncured and all monolithic CFRP laminates.
Larson Electronics' high-power LED light, HAL-PRM-150W-LED, is approved for hazardous locations and can replace 400 watt metal halide bulbs. This light produces 14,790 lumens in a 60 degree flood pattern. The units are rated for 50,000 hours of life. It features a rugged aluminum housing, fitted with 30 Cree XPG LEDs, corrosion resistant hardware and hinged tempered glass door. It is ingress protection rated IP65 and its u-shaped trunnion mount allows technicians to easily mount the light on walls and flat surfaces.
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.
CFM International logged $51.7 billion in orders from 1,500 commercial, military and spare CFM56 engines and commitments in 2011. This activity encompasses 3,056 Leap engines.
Fokker Services has signed a multi-year MRO landing gear services agreement with OceanAir, which does business as Avianca in Brazil. The agreement covers the airline's Goodrich landing gear on its Fokker 100s.
Energy Performance Lighting near Madison, Wisc., specializes in lighting efficiency projects for all types of facilities. It strives to provide a return on investment of 30-40% for its customers by using high-quality lighting products and tailoring lighting solutions to the task at hand. In one case study from a hangar lighting project for the Wisconsin Dept. of Military Affairs, EPL helped the customer achieve an annual cost savings of $19,100 and a carbon dioxide reduction of 411,800 lbs. per year.
AMR Corp. is shedding 13,000 jobs under a restructuring plan that is seeking some $2 billion in annual cost savings and a further $1 billion in improved sales. The cost cutting includes more than $1.25 billion from labor, while the remaining $750 million or so will come from debt restructuring, grounding of older aircraft and revised supplier contracts, according to AMR CEO Tom Horton.
When an Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300ER completed a Los Angeles-Auckland flight in December, it was the first time an airline operated under 240-minute extended operations (ETOPS). But the new 240-minute limit is no longer the edge of the envelope, as a 330 minute time is now poised to become the new ETOPS gold standard. That's because in November Boeing received type design authority from the FAA to offer a 330-minute ETOPS “option” on the GE90-powered 777 family.
Sanad Aero Solutions, the component and engine financing solutions group of Mubadala Aeospace, has partnered with Abu Dhabi National Leasing (ADNL), a wholly owned asset based lease finance arm of the National Bank of Abu Dhabi, to provide up to $169 million in lease financing to Etihad Airways for spare engine sale and leaseback transaction. ADNL will provide Sanad with a fully underwritten long term lease facility in support of the purchase and leaseback of five General Electric GE90 and six Rolls-Royce Trent 500 engines.
Venerable engine maker Pratt & Whitney is looking forward to a resurgent decade, with new engines like the innovative PW1000G geared turbofan series racing out of the gate and a solid business emerging for its Engine Alliance turbofan program with GE. But there's still a lot of business opportunity out there for the tried-and-true stalwarts, especially when it comes to overhauls and on-wing support—and that's especially true for Pratt & Whitney's PW4000 series large turbofan.
Era has received a type certificate from the Interstate Aviation Commission to use its equipment in wide area multilateration and height measurement applications within Russia and 12 former USSR states.
Safe Fuel Systems and its sister company Safe Accessories have merged under one roof in a newly renovated 22,000 sq. ft. facility. The companies will now operate as Safe Fuel Systems to streamline its processes and customer base. The Miami based FAA/EASA approved repair station will offer test and MRO services for fuel systems, hydraulic components and accessories. IT
By Dr. Stefan Weingartner, President, Commercial Maintenance, MTU Aero Engines
The commercial engine maintenance market is in a state of flux. There are new materials, new technologies and increased outsourcing by airlines. This transformation is set to continue for many years. Known market parameters are losing significance as new ones appear.
FindanIA.com Inc. has launched a new web site, www.FindanIA.com. The global website is dedicated to helping aircraft owners, aircraft maintenance facilities and technicians find FAA certified airframe and powerplant maintenance technicians with inspections authorizations. The site's parent company also specializes in placing contract FAA certified inspection authorities oversees at FAA repair stations.
