ST Aerospace gained Chinese and Canadian approval to do passenger to freighter conversions on Boeing 757-200s—two separate supplemental type certificates developed based on its existing FAA-approved STC. ST Aerospace made no mention of who its potential Chinese and Canadian customers will be.
Few paint the near horizon in shades of untempered optimism. But, there is sufficient faith in the future that MROs are ferreting out places to put new facilities. The present expansionary push doesn’t take in vast swaths of canvas. Instead, it pinpoints targets of optimum opportunity—“plug-and-play” sites, loaded with potential and precisely located. Expansion “definitely takes a geographic tone,” says Rich Bergmann, Accenture’s global lead for manufacturing.
Cosworth Group won an eight-year contract to produce the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 Fadec system’s main casing for Aero Engine Controls, a joint venture of Rolls-Royce and Goodrich Corp.
Airbus announced Dec. 1 that it will offer the Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1100G geared turbofan engine as a new engine option for A320 family aircraft. The A320neo family is scheduled to enter service from spring 2016.
Rolls-Royce concluded new engine services agreements worth $1.2 billion for 50 of Emirates’ existing fleet of 152 widebody aircraft. These cover TotalCare long-term support for Trent 700 engines powering 29 Airbus A330s and Trent 800 engines powering 21 Boeing 777s. Rolls-Royce reports it has long-term service agreements on 90% of its Trent engine family. Rolls-Royce also won an order from Air China for engines to power 10 Airbus A350XWBs (Trent XWB) and 10 A330s (Trent 700).
Ramco Systems will provide Suite 5 M&E and MRO maintenance planning software to the National Aviation Co. of India, which operates Air India, Indian Airlines, Air India Expres and Alliance, under a September contract.
ADDIS ABABA—While the African subcontinent represents only 4% of global MRO revenues, its markets are anticipated to witness greater demand for MRO services as a result of air traffic growth, new aircraft deliveries and airline consolidation, says Frost & Sullivan. These predictions are supported by Boeing’s September forecast, which pegs carriers in Africa to experience steady growth over the next 20 years, with a delivery of 710 airplanes in that time frame.
Synergy Jet Group is the name of a new, Atlanta-based business aviation advisory firm launched by veteran aviation sales executive Tom Chapman. Airframes
Iberia Maintenance’s new hangar in Barcelona, which opened last month, is expected to create 200 high-skilled jobs when it reaches full capacity. Its current staff of 60 was in training in October, and the facility expected two aircraft to arrive in November for simultaneous inspections.
As cutting-edge technology renders powerplants exponentially more reliable—able to shun shop visits in a fashion earlier engines never could—cooperative agreements among OEMs and MROs are taking off. That is the irony of it.
Ameco Beijing started line maintenance services for Air France Airbus A340 aircraft at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport on Oct. 16. Air France is Ameco's fifth line maintenance customer at the Guangzhou station.
Vartan Product Support founded a new, wholly owned subsidiary called Vartan Product Support in Washington state. The new branch already has won a contract to support the Boeing 747-8, and it is working on cabin manufacturer Bucher Leichtbau and Anolis' program for Lufthansa. Vartan says the new company will expand cabin support for Boeing in future.
TAM Airlines installed OnAir’s satellite-based inflight mobile communications system on one Airbus A321. The aircraft will provide telephone service and access to emails and the Internet through GPRS networks.
AJ Walter, British Airways and Iberia jointly will provide component by-the-hour and leasing support to Thomas Cook for avionics components of its 22 Airbus A320 and seven A330 family aircraft based in the U.K and Scandinavia under a five-year agreement with the potential to be renewed for three more years. Thomas Cook Airlines U.K. will send avionics components to AJ Walter, while Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia will send them to BA or Iberia. Iberia will handle A330 parts repairs, while BA will handle A320 parts repairs.
CFM International will maintain Muscat-based Oman Air’s 33 CFM56-7B engines under an Oct. 26 agreement. The contract guarantees maintenance costs on a dollar-per-engine flight hour basis for all of the powerplants that equip Oman Air’s 15 Boeing 737NGs, in addition to spares. According to CFM, Oman Air was the first customer in the Gulf region for CFM56-7B-powered 737NGs, which it ordered in 2001.
GE Aviation celebrated a record surpassing 100,000 flight hours for the CF6-80C2B1F turbofan engine on Lufthansa 747-400s maintained by Lufthansa Technik. Lufthansa operates a fleet of 120 CF6-80C2B1F engines, five of which have greater than 100,000 flight hours each. An additional eight engines in operation all have greater than 99,000 flight hours. Together, the fleet of Lufthansa's CF6-80C2B1F engines has achieved a grand total of 10 million flight hours.
Timco amended and issued STCs to install cell modems, other cabin systems and new interiors in Boeing 767-300 series aircraft; to install structural provisions for the Panasonic global communications suite on Boeing 737-700 series aircraft; and to install a Rockwell Collins SRT-2100 satcom system on Boeing 767-400ER series aircraft, STCs ST03604AT-D, ST03810AT-D, ST03808AT-D, ST03068AT-D, ST03552AT-D, ST03493AT-D, ST03492AT-D and ST03468AT-D
Exostar launched the next generation of its supply chain management platform, SPC 2. The E2open powered software lets users manage planning, procurement, inventory and logistics processes.
Avionics Support Group amended STCs to install various equipment—the Wingspeed Iridium communication management systems, dual DAC International electronic flight bags, navAero tBagC2 electronic flight bags, Thales integrated standby flight display, Ritec thermal printer, Thales-Kannad (406AF) emergency locator transmitter and International Communications Group ICS-220A Iridium SATCOM system—in various aircraft, including Boeing 727, 747, 757 and 767; Bombardier CL-600-2C10/2B19 and Lockheed 328G, STCs ST03603AT, STC ST03602AT, ST03700AT, ST03600AT, ST03588AT, ST03833AT
