SR Technics Malta completed its first maintenance visit of an easyJet aircraft—an Airbus A321 named “Pride of Malta”—on Oct. 21. SR Technics is maintaining easyJet’s fleet under a 10-year contract extension signed last fall.
Inventory is the hot potato of the supply chain. No one wants to hold it. That is especially true in the MRO industry, where airlines and maintenance organizations alike are right-sizing their businesses in light of the recession.
Pratt & Whitney Canada added Kansas Aviation as a repair and overhaul supplier for constant speed units, prop governors and oil-to-fuel heaters for a variety of engine types, including the PT6T, PT6A, JT15D, PW100, PW150, PW200, PW300 and PW500.
StandardAero signed on to support Embraer's global pool program for the Hamilton Sundstrand APS 2300 auxiliary power units on the E-170, E-175, E-190 and E-195. The long-term agreement provides support to Embraer's Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Paris, Singapore, and Brazil facilities from StandardAero's Maryville, Tenn., repair operation. Joint Ventures/Acquisitions
AJ Walter Aviation also partnered with Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Co. on a portfolio of loan, exchange, sale, consignment, consumables and repair management services for Boeing and Airbus aircraft operating in China, by giving GAMECO access to its spares inventories.
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.
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.
NIJL Aircraft Docking will provide Turkish Technik with eight narrowbody aircraft docking systems over the next two years, for installation at its new Habom project at Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen airport. The first four docks are scheduled to begin operations in the fourth quarter of 2011; the remaining four will be delivered through 2012.
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.
Scheduling has long been an issue in aviation maintenance. Current project management software such as Microsoft Project is adequate, but these programs can make thousands of microscopic errors that can add up to a lot of ups and downs in manpower and overtime requirements, says Matthew Ginsberg, CEO of On Time Systems Inc.
Do you get a sense that the term “partnership” in the aviation aftermarket is subtly morphing into something new? I do. The overused term is rather generic, but I have heard enough examples recently that make me think new ways of working together are forthcoming.
Armand F. Lauzon, Jr. ➤ CEO, Sequa Corp. and President, Chromalloy
During the summer of 2008, I was asked by The Carlyle Group, one of the largest private equity firms in the world—and a company I’d been working with for a number of years—to run Chromalloy, a company it had purchased the previous December. From the outset, it was clear to me that the job would be challenging and that one of the most difficult tasks would involve driving a cultural change to establish a unified reputation—both inside and outside the company.
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.
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.
Pratt & Whitney introduced its EcoPower engine wash service in 2004, and has since touted the service’s ability to cut thrust-specific fuel consumption by up to 1.2%. In an effort to take a more holistic look at environmental services, Pratt & Whitney announced in July that it has teamed with aviation consultant Flight Sciences International (FSI) to offer the washing program with other services through a new, five-year fuel conservation program called EcoFlight Solutions.
Archeion Holdings amended STC to install a mini quick access recorder model MKI, MKII, or MKIII on multiple air transport and business aircraft models, STC ST02472AT
Archeion Holdings amended STCs to install an Avionica satlink Iridium satcom communication management system on various Boeing 727, 737, 757 and 767 series aircraft, STCs ST03689AT, ST03529AT, ST03386AT and ST03508AT
Christchurch Engine Center (New Zealand). A JV between Pratt & Whitney and Air New Zealand. Eagle Services Asia (Singapore). A JV involving Pratt & Whitney and SIA Engineering Co. Shanghai Engine Center (China). A joint venture between Pratt & Whitney and China Eastern Airlines. Turkish Engine Center (Turkey). A joint venture of Pratt & Whitney and Turkish Technic. Asian Compressor Technology Services (Taiwan). This tripartite JV encompasses Pratt & Whitney, SIA Engineering Co., and China Airlines.
ST Aerospace inked a seven-year component maintenance contract with China Airlines worth $16.2 million (about S$21 million). The contract consists of component maintenance-by-the-hour (MBH) support services for China Airlines’ 10 Boeing 737-800 aircraft, starting immediately. The contract includes repair management and pool access to ST Aerospace’s worldwide inventory and is the fourth MBH program contract awarded to ST Aerospace this year.
What have been your biggest challenges in the first year of refocusing Olympic Air’s maintenance business? Pascalis: We started our operation on Sept. 28, 2009, and the old Olympic Airlines actually concluded their operations on the same day. The first challenge was to take over the hangar facilities at Athens Airport: they were coming out while we were going in. It sounds easy, but it’s not. You have one huge, 40-year-old organization moving out, and us moving in on the same day. Logistically, it’s a big effort.
