Inside MRO

By Sean Broderick
30 years in, Pratt & Whitney's PW100s still move well

By Paul Seidenman
Parts scarcity and evolving ATM requirements push airlines to modernize cockpits

By Sean Broderick
Washington Considering that some form of new mandate was unavoidable, the vast majority of those affected by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) long-awaited repair station security rule couldn't be more pleased.

By Paul Seidenman
For Southwest Airlines, there are no replacement plans—at least for now—for the electromechanical cockpits on the 130 Boeing 737-300s and -500s it still flies. “We are always evaluating the future of our 737-300s and -500s, which includes possible cockpit modifications as fleet planning warrants,” says Kent Horton, Southwest's director of engineering.

Cathy Buyck (Brussels)
As more European airlines add Boeing 787s and more foreign carriers deploy them to European airports, small- and medium-sized maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) companies are seeking to profit by expanding their capabilities to include Dreamliner services.

Lee Ann Tegtmeier (Chicago)
Having flown more than 35,000 mi. in the past month between North America, South America, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific—on aircraft including an Embraer 190 within Brazil to a Boeing 777-300ER from Dubai to Singapore—how could airline operations not have occupied my mind? As the world becomes more connected, and as airlines in regions such as Southeast Asia expand into sizes where aftermarket volumes support developing local services, partnerships flourish. I witnessed it on each continent.
MRO

By Sean Broderick
A European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) draft rule tackles several ambiguities around aircraft technical records, including how long certain records should be kept, and how new technology—such as digitized records—should be accommodated.

Lee Ann Tegtmeier
1. Aviation Safety Academy Company: Baines Simmons
MRO

Lee Ann Tegtmeier (Chicago)
How critical is the Middle East MRO labor shortage?

Henry Canaday (Washington)
Narrowbodies leading VIP market, which is expanding beyond Middle East.

By Sean Broderick
Washington A recently released audit lauds the FAA's Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (Asias) effort for its growth, but urges the agency to boost the program's effectiveness by putting more of its data into the hands of safety inspectors. The FAA, straddling a fine line, says it is trying.

Lee Ann Tegtmeier
Last year was a good year for the commercial aftermarket, which saw an uptick “as the period of spares destocking and maintenance deferral by the airlines draws to a close,” according to RBC Capital Market analysts.

By Sean Broderick
Research links current rules with Safety Management Systems elements

By Sean Broderick
Europe The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has proposed beefed-up standards and maintenance practices for aircraft flight and data recorders. Among the changes: Cockpit voice recorders (CVR) on large aircraft—having a maximum takeoff weight of at least 27,000 kg—would need recording durations of 15 hr. by January 2019. EASA also proposed that, by 2020, CVRs and flight data recorders have underwater location devices that broadcast for at least 90 days.

By Sean Broderick
The last year has provided some much-needed positive news for Airbus's A380 program, including a milestone 100th delivery and a major deal that pushed the program's languishing orderbook beyond 300. Whether the solid run is a precursor of things to come or an anomalous blip on a radar screen full of challenges is up for debate.

Heather Baldwin
Empowered employees contribute to ROI
MRO

The following companies' products and services in MRO Links garnered the most interest from the industry. To access more information about the following, go toAviationWeek.com/mrolinks and enter the link number. 1. Commercial Aerospace Solutions Company: AAR Corp. Services: AAR provides heavy maintenance checks, modifications, component repair, landing gear overhaul and engineering services to support airline and government fleets. www.aarcorp.com Link 600
MRO

Robert Trebilcock (Keene, N.H.)
The best MROs have contingency plans

By Sean Broderick
A recent report from the U.S. Transportation Department's Inspector General sheds some light on the impact of sequestration on FAA's certification efforts and related delays. Top FAA executives have said a hiring freeze put in place late last year has forced the agency' s Aviation Safety (AVS) branch to allocate more of its limited resources to immediate safety issues. The loser has been certification projects that are either resource-intensive or simply new.

By Sean Broderick
An FAA rulemaking advisory committee's recommendations on improving the consistency of rules interpretations is starting bear fruit in a much-needed area: the guidance behind regulations. Dorenda Baker, FAA's director of Aircraft Certification Services, says the agency is tackling the committee's most pressing recommendations: conducting a review of existing guidance to eliminate duplicative, conflicting or irrelevant guidance; and ensuring the rest is available in an electronic database.

By Sean Broderick
The world 's best-selling jet is a winner for aftermarket suppliers

Lee Ann Tegtmeier
Can you pinpoint one or two industry trends that emerged in 2013? One could argue that the debates about OEMs' increasing penetration of the aftermarket became more vociferous this year. But did they? While safety issues will be mainly black or white, many MRO issues have shifted to shades of gray.

Robert Trebilcock (Keene. N.H.)
When Northern European and North Atlantic air traffic came to halt in 2010 following the eruption of the Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajokull, Air France Industries KLM Engineering and Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) continued to serve its customers by shipping parts and components from its operations in Miami and Kuala Lumpur. This is one example of the risk-management initiative supporting its supply chain operations, say Benjamin Moreau and Harmen Lanser, members of the component services team.

By Paul Seidenman
Fuel savings, durability are behind enhanced powerplant repairs

By Sean Broderick
Europe A U.K. Aviation Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) call to have Boeing 777 interior lighting crashworthiness improved has been rejected by the U.S. FAA, but Boeing addressed the matter well before an accident brought the issue to light, AAIB's latest annual safety report reveals.