The availability of instructions for continued airworthiness (ICA) has pitted manufacturers against repair stations for years. Repair stations have pushed for greater access to ICAs, while manufacturers have carefully guarded what they deem to be proprietary information that they developed at great cost.
The latest news on FAA's NextGen air traffic control system is hopeful but worrisome. Progress has been made, conceptually and practically. The equipment for future ATC techniques is not terribly expensive but must be funded by many airlines and some governments that are themselves financially weak.
TeamSAI promoted David Marcontell to president and COO for TeamSAI. Marcontell will oversee operations for the firm's three wholly owned subsidiary units, including TeamSAI Consulting Services, Team SAI M&E Solutions and TeamSAI MRO Data Services. Marcontell has been president of TeamSAI M&E Solutions since it was created in 2009. Airframes
The Boeing 787, which entered service in September, is considered a fully e-enabled aircraft, generating and capturing more data than any airplane in Boeing's history. With millions of lines of code, and onboard computer servers connecting to airplane systems via fiber optics and ethernet, “it's like a computer with wings bolted on,” said one of our customers.
The narrowbody airframe MRO market continues to show signs of recovery from the worst points of the economic downturn, when even relatively young aircraft were parked to defray operational expenses and defer maintenance costs. The narrowbody airframe MRO market value grew slightly less in 2011 (which exhibited a rate of 0.6%) than it did in 2010, when market value increased by 1.4%. However, it continues the generally positive reversal from the same 12-month period in 2009–10, when the market value for narrowbody airframe MRO services contracted by 12.6%.
American Airlines' named James Ream senior VP-operations in addition to his current role as VP-maintenance and engineering. He was president and CEO of Express Jet Airlines and before that COO of Continental Express Airlines.
Prime Turbines hired John O'Brien as sales and service manager responsible for growing sales of Pratt & Whitney PT6A repair and overhaul services in Canada.
The International Federation of Airworthiness awarded its Whittle Safety Award to Dr. William Johnson, chief scientific and technical advisor for human factors in aviation maintenance for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. The federation cites Dr. Johnson's experience working with labor, management, industry consortiums and government to impact training and procedures for maintenance human factors.
MRO Prospector predicts the GE90 will only generate 157 engine overhauls this year, but less than 15% of the -115B fleet has experienced a shop visit. This compares to the GE90-94B—all of which have gone in for a visit, says Steve Shaknaitis, GE90 MRO leader. He says a typical first run is 25,000-35,000 hours, and “GE provides MRO services and support to about 70% of the GE90 fleet.”
Narrowbody airframe MRO accounts just over $25 million, or 54% of the total airframe MRO market that is worth an estimated $8.8 billion, based on TeamSAI November 2011 figures. And airframe services make up about 19% of all MRO work on narrowbody aircraft.
The term “winglet” caused a stir in the aviation aftermarket industry a decade ago with promises of more efficient aircraft via wing attachments that could be retrofitted. Major airlines undergoing extensive retrofit projects include United, which ordered 14 767-300ER units from APB in June. Operators are still buying these devices, but manufacturers such as Aviation Partners Boeing and Quiet Wing have realized that once most fleets are outfitted with winglets, they will need a strategy for capturing new market opportunities.
AAR Corp. has signed a definitive agreement to purchase Telair International and Nordisk Aviation Products from Teleflex, Inc. The transaction is expected to generate $225 million of revenue in fiscal 2013. The acquisition will enhance AAR's ability to capitalize on commercial aircraft build cycles as a tier-one supplier to Airbus and Boeing. Telair designs, manufactures and supports cargo loading systems for widebody and narrowbody aircraft. Nordisk designs and manufacturers heavy-duty pallets and lightweight cargo containers for commercial airlines.
Delivering value to your customers and really listening to them might require you to do business in a different way. The article on gauging customer satisfaction (pg. 31) describes how several aftermarket companies gain insights about their services and take corrective measures. It's about proactively using your customers' feedback to better serve them. (Coincidentally, a reader suggested this O&M article subject. Thanks!)
Kelowna Flightcraft operates heavy maintenance facilities in Kelowna, B.C., Canada and Hamilton, Ont., Canada. Kelowna is a preferred vendor for Aviation Partners Boeing winglets and undertook the task of installing the prototype winglets for the Boeing 757-300. Overall, Kelowna has installed more than 70 sets of both Aviation Partners and Quiet Wing winglets and specializes in installing winglets on both provisioned and non-provisioned aircraft.
Scandinavian Airlines System has entered into an agreement with Sunrise Asset Management to sell 13 MD82/83/87 aircraft and an additional 12 spare engines. The order is valued at about $20 million and delivery of the aircraft and engines is ongoing and will be completed in Feb. 2013. SAS is phasing out its MD-80 fleet and replacing them with Boeing 737NG and Airbus A320s.
Quiet Wing manufactured the first commercial winglets for an aircraft in 1993, and it continues to produce winglets for the Boeing 727 and Boeing 737-300/-400/-500 series aircraft. Quiet Wing works with MROs such as Kelowna Flightcraft and Commercial Jet to provide parts and support to install the winglets, and the company continues to see a strong demand for the Boeing 727 winglets for VIP aircraft. As these aircraft become older, Quiet Wing realizes that the demand for winglets for the legacy Boeings will decrease with time.
BEIJING—The frames of new hangars keep rising, and plenty more are on the drawing board as China's march into heavy airframe maintenance continues unabated.
Sherwin-Williams has added several executives to its management team: Karen O'Hara will fill the position of global aerospace sales manager, Christopher Cook will become global aerospace business development manager and Anthony Azarve has become an account executive for aerospace coatings sales in the U.S.
Sabena Technics has signed a three-year agreement with ULS Airlines Cargo for component repair on its fleet of three Airbus A300-B4 and three Airbus A310-300 aircraft. Both companies have collaborated on repair management for some years.
Sherwin-Williams has announced its aerospace coatings training program for 2012, which will be held in Andover, Ks. The two-day training sessions will now include work with the SkyScapes basecoat/clearcoat paint system and focus on trends in surface pre-treatments, primer systems and topcoats. The classes are designed for all levels of paint shop personnel and conducted in a training center with electrostatic guns. The cost of the class is $229 per person, including materials, safety equipment and a training certificate.
