While fuel burn grabs the big headlines in the battle for market share between the mid-thrust engine makers, it is more often maintenance cost which becomes the real acid test when it comes to decision time.
Singapore Technologies Aerospace (ST Aero) has been certified as a Part 147 maintenance training organization by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore. The Singapore MRO firm says now that it has this certification, its technical training center in Singapore will be able to provide EASA-certified courses covering narrowbody and widebody aircraft.
Mubadala Aerospace has formed a new senior leadership team to manage its MRO companies, Zurich-based SR Technics and Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies (ADAT). The United Arab Emirates-based company says it will use the new executive team to create synergies between the two MROs. However, both SR Technics and ADAT will remain separate legal entities. The new leadership appointments are Homaid Al Shemmari, chairman of the MRO network; Jeremy Chan executive vice chairman; and James Stewart group CEO.
Lean manufacturing is a concept that derived from Toyota's production system for cars, and it has since been adopted by maintenance facilities for their repair work. But using Lean for MRO can be difficult, as there are many things that can happen on the maintenance shop floor that manufacturing organizations would not have to worry about. While an introduction to Lean is still valuable to any an aftermarket organization, a few consultants have found ways to tailor efficiency initiatives for the maintenance industry to address some unique problems.
Jet Midwest appointed Tom Corum to VP of business development for Jet Midwest Technik. He comes to the company after three years in the financial services and business brokerage industry. He has spent more than 30 years in the aviation industry.
Jet Midwest Technik has entered into an agreement with SkyWest Airlines to perform premium paint services for the airline's Bombardier CRJ-200 fleet, operated on behalf of United Express.
Aviation Partners Boeing has appointed Bill Ashworth as its new president. His senior management team will include: Mike Stowell, acting president, executive VP and CTO of APB; Dean Poor, VP operations and Patrick LaMoria, VP sales.
Arinc Managed Services has opened a new headquarters in Annapolis, Md. The wholly owned subsidiary of Arinc, Inc. provides 24-hr. maintenance and support for airline check-in systems and technologies.
Eznis Airways selected Swiss-AS' Amos software system as its new MRO software package and launched its implementation in Mongolia. The introduction of the software coincides with the phasing in of two BAE Systems Avro RJ85 aircraft and moving into a new hangar. The software will help Eznis consolidate its maintenance process and develop its in-house maintenance capabilities, with the ultimate goal of performing in-house C checks in two years.
Ametek Ameron (dba Mass Systems) reissued STCs to replace Kidde fire extinguisher and Pacific Scientific fire extinguisher cartridges in fire extinguisher bottles on various transport category aircraft, including ATR, Airbus, BAE Systems, Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer, Eurocopter, Fokker, Lockheed Martin, McDonnell Douglas and Saab aircraft, STCs ST00952LA and ST00885LA
Wencor Group has acquired Aerospace Coatings International, a repair station that holds FAA and EASA certifications as well as ISO 9001:2008. It specializes in hydraulic, pneumatic and landing gear piece parts. Facilities
PATS Aircraft Systems will install auxiliary fuel systems on 10 Boeing 737-900ER auxiliary fuel systems on Turkish Airlines aircraft. The first two aircraft have been inducted at the PATS facility for installation of the auxiliary fuel system, which will be delivered in a two-tank aft configuration, adding 962 gallons of fuel and extending the range of the aircraft up to 450 nm.
How are we doing? That's a question many suppliers of aircraft aftermarket services are asking customers today. Finding the answer normally means using surveys, ranging in complexity from simple phone calls to carefully targeted and increasingly customized email or Web-based questionnaires.
Green, lean, flexible. These are the trends propelling the ground support equipment market into the second decade of the new millennium. Impelled by environmental regulation, and motivated by the nonstop need to cut costs, the industry is developing evolutionary products that will alter what we see scurrying about the ramp in coming years. GSE manufacturer JBT AeroTech and a host of other players are moving ahead with initiatives designed to render ground support gear more environmentally friendly.
Aviation Partners Boeing is a joint venture between Aviation Partners and Boeing. It makes and holds certifications for blended winglets to install on the Boeing 737-300/-500/-700/-800/-900 aircraft as well as the Boeing 757-200/-300 and the Boeing 767-300ER. Airlines that buy retrofit packages from Aviation Partners Boeing receive engineering, tooling, a full deck of installation task cards, on-site technical support as well as 24/7 engineering liaison coverage and AOG parts support.
Component Control has announced that Hansair Logistics Group is using its Quantum Control product to manage its three global aviation supply businesses: Hansair Logistics, Hansair Engine group and Hypercoat Enterprises PTE. The three companies distribute consumable and expendable aviation products through a network of 19 offices and warehouses around the world, supporting major airlines and regional carriers. It is using Component Control's MRO and logistics software solution to manage sales, inventory management and tracking, business reporting and accounting.
For months the Transportation Security Administration's final rulemaking to impose new security rules for repair stations in the U.S. and abroad has appeared imminent. TSA issued the notice of proposed rulemaking in 2009 for new security requirements, including a mandate for all repair stations to have security programs in place.
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.
