One of the many things I’ve learned from presiding over a technology-based services company for the past 14-years is that if you are to not only survive but to grow, you need to constantly evaluate how fast to develop and deploy new applications and capabilities. Said another way, it’s really about how fast the market will adapt to advancing technology; how fast they see the value of change.
Saab in December secured a 200 million Swedish kronor ($27.4 million) contract for in-service support of Gripen multirole fighters. The contract was led by the Swedish defense materiel administration, acting for export customers of the single-engine combat aircraft in Thailand, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
STG Aerospace amended STC to install the STG Aerospace PowerSmart wireless emergency primary power system on Boeing 737-300, -400, -500, -600, -700, -800 and -900 series aircraft, STC ST03465AT
Controversial claims made by easyJet CEO Andy Harrison that aircraft manufacturers are delaying the launch of next generation aircraft have been strongly refuted by Airbus and Boeing. Harrison said that the cash flows generated by Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 narrowbodies remain a key interest for their makers, encouraging them to keep these models in production. If so, the next generation of aircraft isn’t likely to appear before 2030. “The OEMs are in no hurry to bring them out,” he said.
Look around and you’ll see more generational diversity in the hangar than ever before. It’s a global phenomenon, driven by populations who are living longer and working later into their lives than any previous generation. This isn’t just an interesting fact—the trend has significant implications for performance, management and, in the end, safety in aviation maintenance facilities.
Electronic Cable Specialists to install electronic flight bag mounting and wiring provisions on Boeing 747-400, -400D and -400F series aircraft, STC ST02765CH
Lufthansa Technik announced a preliminary agreement to form an MRO joint venture with Oman Air. The partners will build a hangar at Muscat Airport capable of handling two widebody and two narrowbody aircraft at a time. The facility, to open in 2012, will handle aircraft maintenance through C checks for A330, 737NG, Embraer and ATR aircraft operated by Oman Air and other airlines in the region. In the interim, Oman Air will perform 737NG C checks in Malta or at other existing LHT facilities in Budapest and Sofia.
MARIETTA, Ga.—With a recession pinching procurement budgets around the globe and deliveries of Airbus A400M slipping, some Lockheed Martin C-130 suppliers are seeing an opportunity to offer a host of avionics upgrades to keep the tactical airlifters flying and ensure their access to preferred air routes for years to come.
A 35-year MRO program came to an end on Nov. 4, when Boeing Defense Australia delivered the final Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F-111 fighter-bomber it was contracted to service under the Deeper Maintenance program. Aircraft A08-135 was the 28th F-111 Boeing has worked on since becoming part of the program in 2001. Deeper Maintenance was initiated by the RAAF in 1974, shortly after it added the F-111 to its combat fleet. Boeing has since 2001 performed more than 500,000 hours of MRO on F-111s.
Airbus launched a winglet upgrade for the A320 family that promises to provide a 3.5% fuel-burn improvement over the existing wingfence design. New Zealand Airways is the launch customer for the "sharklets." Airbus is still working on a winglet retrofit option for the A320, but it will not be the sharklets. It is looking at its own design but also is talking to Aviation Partners, which may be involved in building the sharklets. The A320 will be the first to get the devices, with a planned in-service date of late 2012.
Wencor acquired assets of Boone Air Parts in November. It planned to use the assets to begin a new company with the same name, but operated as a Utah Corporation and Wencor subsidiary. Facilities
Happy new year! While economic and forecast pundits don’t believe 2010 will see an exuberant rebound, the aviation aftermarket seems poised for at least minimal growth. (But don’t expect the marketplace to pick up as quickly as it has following the last few economic downturns.) I gleaned several themes for increasing aftermarket revenue from AVIATION WEEK’s MRO Asia Conference in Hong Kong last month. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but hopefully it will germinate new ideas for your business.
Sabca, a Brussels-based company specializing in aviation engineering, signed an exclusive F-16 spare parts supply contract with Derco Aerospace of the U.S. Derco, a subsidiary of Sikorsky Aerospace Services, will supply parts manufactured by Argo-Tech, Hamilton Sundstrand and Honeywell for just-in-time component repair of F-16s operated by European air forces.
LONDON—Ground engineers across Europe likely will come under even greater pressure to fix aircraft faults more quickly following a November ruling by the European Court of Justice. Passengers on flights delayed for more than three hours now can seek similar compensation from airlines as passengers on cancelled flights because they are in a “comparable situation” to those on cancelled flights, as each suffers a loss of time. Current EU regulations entitle passengers on cancelled flights to €250 (US$373) to €600 (US$905) in compensation.
Russian Helicopters, JSC has announced that it will set up a regional MRO facility in Sharjah, UAE, for Russian-made helicopters, including the Mi-class, a military version that is in use by many Middle Eastern, African and Eastern European forces. International RotorCraft Services, a company formed in partnership with Airfreight Aviation Ltd. of the UAE, will run the MRO facility. Russian Helicopters, a subsidiary of UIC Oboronprom, is the umbrella company for all Russian helicopter manufacturers.
Voicing concerns for the survival of Europe’s airlines, the Association of European Airlines (AEA), which represents Europe’s most important network carriers, has called for a stakeholder summit on the European aviation industry.
Line Operations Safety Audit, or LOSA, has long been a fixture in cockpits. Now, a committee is working to move that same program onto the ramp and into maintenance facilities.
Part sales plummeted in 2009, and airline part stocks declined as aircraft, especially part-hungry older models, were grounded. Most look for a recovery beginning in 2010. Orders for expendables will likely turn up with traffic. Rotable sales will begin to recover as maintenance events increase, hopefully in the second half or 2010. But full recovery in rotable sales likely awaits restocking of inventories when airlines are stronger financially. That may not come until 2011, or even 2013, in the most pessimistic scenario.
