FlightSafety International Hawker Beechcraft Maintenance Learning Center opened in Wichita, Kan., on Feb. 24. It recently started hosting MxPro classes, a curriculum developed by the two companies.
The Defense Ministry awarded a 10-year, £865 million ($1.35 billion) contract to Rolls-Royce for MRO of the EJ200 engines in use on the Typhoon fighter. Most of the work will be performed at RAF Coningsby, the Typhoon’s main operating base, and beginning later this year at RAF Leuchars in Scotland, the fighter’s new forward operating base. Some work also will be done at Rolls-Royce plants in Leicestershire and Bristol. The contract provides for support to deployed operating bases and to the Falkland Islands.
—Engine maintenance has come a long way, with repairs developed in the workshop evolving into tasks that can be undertaken on-wing or in situ at a customer’s base. With the cost of an engine overhaul topping $2 million and on-wing repair and part replacement services costing between 1% and 10% of that, demand for more repairs to be made available on-wing has never been greater.
ST Aerospace will provide six years of maintenance support worth SING$363 million ($259 million) to the Republic of Singapore Air Force under two new contracts. The RSAF operates 218 aircraft in total, according to AVIATION WEEK’s World Aerospace Database. The contracts cover the RSAF’s operational fleet except for its F-15s and the trainer that has yet to be shortlisted, says ST Aero communications head Audrey Tan. Due to customer confidentiality she could not provide more detail on the work scope.
When the Transportation Security Administration released its long-awaited security proposal for repair stations last November, industry groups appreciated the balance the agency tried to strike between meeting a congressional mandate and providing flexibility. The initial reaction was that TSA appeared to be headed in the right direction with its notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
Bahrain-based Gulf Air picked Trax Maintenance software to manage its MRO operations. Gulf Air plans to implement e3, the newest version of the software.
Swiss AviationTraining received EASA Part 147 approval from the Federal Office of Civil Aviation to provide maintenance type rate training for Bombardier CRJ100/200 and CRJ700/900 aircraft types. Lufthansa Technik is Swiss AviationTraining’s first customer for the Bombardier training program. IT
Gol opened a new, third hangar at its maintenance base at Confins International Airport in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, to accommodate its expanding fleet of Boeing 737NG aircraft. The new hangar, which measures 262 ft. by 262 ft., is part of a doubling of Gol’s sprawling maintenance base at Confins. The just-completed first phase of the overall $32.2 million development includes an expansion of the apron, storage area and shops. The larger maintenance base will allow Gol to support a fleet of 120 aircraft, up from its current fleet of 108.
Electronics systems specialist Thales signed a contract with Dassault Aviation to provide maintenance support for avionics equipment on French Rafale aircraft. The 10-year deal is reportedly unique for the two companies because of the range of equipment involved, in that it guarantees a fixed price per flight hour and covers extended services such as obsolescence management.
Pratt & Whitney inked an exclusive, 15-year engine maintenance contract with Republic Airways as part of its deal to power 40 firm and up to 40 option Bombardier CSeries aircraft. The agreement represents 80 firm PW1000G engines for CSeries aircraft with six spare engines.
SR Technics moved Angelo Quabba into the role of CFO, filling in for James Stewart who was promoted to CEO on Feb. 1. Quabba previously was senior VP commercial controlling.
Chromalloy entered into a $10 million, two-year agreement with Air India to repair CF6-80C2, PW4000, CFM56-7B engines and auxiliary power units parts and components. It also inked a $2 million, three-year service agreement with Jordan Airmotive Ltd. Co. for inspections and service on gas turbine engine components, including the JT8D, RB211-524 and CF6-80C2. And, it will provide Pakistan International Airlines with FAA-approved high-pressure turbine blades and component repairs during 2010 through its joint venture BELAC and global repair network.
SR Technics in 2009 introduced an innovative restructuring of airframe and engine maintenance processes designed to reduce cost and downtime. Called the E-check, the concept redistributes traditional A and C check tasks for Airbus A320 family aircraft into 36 equal labor packages, each of which can be achieved during a night stop of eight hours. After the 36th, aircraft require a six-year IL check, which SR Technics has cut from 21 to 14 days.
Rockwell Collins Aerospace and Electronics Flight Dynamics Division, amended STC to install a Rockwell Collins Model 6605 head-up display and enhanced vision system CMA-2600i infrared sensor system on Bombardier CL-600-2B16 (CL-604) aircraft, STC ST02177LA
While it doesn’t specialize in turboprops, BAE Systems sees signs that customers want specialized solutions, says spokesman David Dorman. One such customer is Condor Flugdienst, which enlisted BAE Systems' remarketing services for its 13 Boeing 757-300s. Condor's aircraft will remain in operation while BAE seeks a financial institution or leasing company to buy its aircraft then lease them back to Condor. No modifications or upgrades are involved in the work for Condor; BAE purely will seek out entities interested in buying the 13 aircraft.
Bombardier Aerospace’s aircraft dismantling operations have been accredited by the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA). The endorsement covers teardowns of CRJ100/200 regional jets at the manufacturer’s service centers in Bridgeport, W.Va., and Tucson, Ariz. AFRA promotes best practices for salvaging and recycling components during disassembly.
The 402nd Maintenance Wing, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center has transformed the way it handles C-17 heavy maintenance and modifications. It embedded program management and materiel support into production activities, shifting the focus on material from supply to aircraft delivery due-date performance. This new process, it says, makes work stoppages due to shortages a rarity. The 402nd MXW has adopted industry best practices, including AS9100 registration, and it has improved its work scope by grouping personnel into multi-skilled teams.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is progressing its evaluation of continued airworthiness issues arising from the falsification of data by Koito, the Japanese seat manufacturer. The agency’s initial review of Airbus’ risk assessment plan concluded there is no immediate threat to the safety of aircraft equipped with Koito seats, but this does not preclude EASA from issuing an airworthiness directive at a later stage. EASA and the FAA are working closely on the issue, with FAA conducting a similar review in relation to Boeing aircraft.
CAE SimuFlite awarded its first Master Aircraft Technician Awards to Shayne B. Graves and Dennis L. Pepin of Home Depot Aviation for successfully completing CAE SimuFlite’s three-year Master Aircraft Technician program.
AMES , the nacelle repair joint venture Air France Industries/KLM Engineering & Maintenance and Aircelle launched in June 2009, officially opened on March 1 in Dubai’s Jebel Ali Free Zone. AMES received EASA Part 145 certification in late February and actually began operations about three weeks prior to the opening. Aircelle has transferred some of its work to AMES from one of its other facilities.
