The leading international magazine for the manufacturing and MRO sectors of commercial aviation
LOOKING THROUGH THE WINDOW:
MRO GLOBAL OUTLOOK 2011 n DON’T SAY 737 REPLACEMENT, SAY NEW AIRCRAFT n LOGICAL LOGISTICS: SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT n OEMs TAKE CONTROL OF AVIONICS AFTERMARKET n AIRFRAME MAINTENANCE DIRECTORY PART 2 April - May 2011 Issue: 111
Official Publication
www.ubmaviationnews.com
LAUNCHING... SUMMER 2011 aeroinv.com is an aftermarket supplier of aircraft parts supporting airlines, MROs and supply chain specialists alike. With a $350m / 150k+ SKU breadth of stock, our web store offers “buy it now” functionality, transparent pricing and trace documentation online, simplifying your purchasing process. Pre-register at
www.aeroinv.com
or call us on
+44 (0)208 449 9263 “Aeroinv.com” is a trading name of Aero Inventory Plc and Aero Inventory (UK) Limited – both in administration (together “the Companies”). James Robert Tucker, Richard Heis and Allan Graham are the Joint Administrators of the Companies and manage the affairs, business and property of the Companies.
C O N T E N T S April - May 2011 •
Issue: 111
NEWS UPDATE 4 A round-up of the latest news, contracts, products and people movements.
INDUSTRY FOCUS EDITOR Jason Holland: Jason.Holland@ubmaviation.com ASSISTANT EDITOR Joanne Perry: Joanne.Perry@ubmaviation.com EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Tony Arrowsmith, Bernard Fitzsimons, Chris Kjelgaard, Scott Hamilton PRODUCTION MANAGER Phil Hine: Phil.Hine@ubmaviation.com E-EDITOR & CIRCULATION MANAGER Paul Canessa: Paul.Canessa@ubmaviation.com MEDIA MANAGER - EUROPE, ASIA & AFRICA Alan Samuel: Alan.Samuel@ubmaviation.com PUBLISHER & SALES DIRECTOR - USA Simon Barker: Simon.Barker@ubmaviation.com GROUP PUBLISHER Anthony Smith: Anthony.Smith@ubmaviation.com Aircraft Technology Engineering & Maintenance (ATE&M) (ISSN: 0967-439X - USPS 022-901) is published bi- monthly, in February, April, June, August, October and December with an extra issue in July, plus annual issues of the yearbooks published in September, October, and November by UBM Aviation Publications Ltd. and distributed in the USA by SPP c/o 95, Aberdeen Road, Emigsville, PA 17318-0437, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Emigsville, PA. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Aircraft Technology Engineering & Maintenance c/o SPP P.O. Box 437 Emigsville, PA 17318-0437, USA. All subscription records are maintained at UBM Aviation Publications Ltd. First Floor, Ludgate House, 245 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 9UY, UK. ATE&M UK annual subscription cost is £150. ATE&M Overseas annual subscription cost is £170 or $300 (USA) ATE&M Single copy cost is £25 (UK) or $50 (USA) All subscriptions enquiries to: Paul Canessa: paul.canessa@ubmaviation.com Tel: +44 (0) 207 579 4873 Fax: +44 (0) 207 579 4848 Website: www.ubmaviationnews.com ATE&M is published by UBM Aviation Publications Ltd. Printed in England by benhamgoodheadprint Ltd. Mailing house: Flostream UK Aircraft Technology Engineering & Maintenance (ATE&M), part of UBM Aviation Publications Ltd, has used its best efforts in collecting and preparing material for inclusion in ATE&M but cannot and does not warrant that the information contained in this product is complete or accurate and does not assume and hereby disclaims, liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions in ATE&M whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause. This publication may not be reproduced or copied in whole or in part by any means without the express permission of UBM Aviation Publications Limited. Aircraft Technology Engineering & Maintenance™ is a licensed trademark of UBM Aviation Publications Limited. All trademarks used under license from UBM Aviation Publications Ltd. © 1999 – 2011, UBM Aviation Publications Limited. All rights reserved.
SPECIAL FEATURE 14 MRO global outlook 2011: An industry on the rebound What are the prospects for the MRO industry in 2011, and beyond? Which regions are making the strongest recovery from the global downturn? Jason Holland assesses the state of play in this comprehensive report. 38 Aviation focus: Florida With a plethora of MRO and supply chain companies located in the third largest US state by air passenger totals — attracted by the sunny climate, strategic location and state support — Joanne Perry investigates Florida’s standing as an aviation hub.
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION 56 Don’t say 737 replacement, say new aircraft After months of speculation, Boeing appears to be going with a replacement for the 737 rather than a re-engined version — except the company doesn’t see it as a straight replacement, just a “new aircraft”. Here, Scott Hamilton examines Boeing’s possible strategies for this new programme, including technologies, family and size options, use of materials, and likely assembly sites. 64 The importance of engine testing Engine testing, whether during manufacturing or maintenance, must cut no corners in order to prevent potentially disastrous mid-flight failures. Joanne Perry talks to engine manufacturers, MROs and test equipment providers to find out the latest trends.
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE 74 Airframe heavy maintenance directory — Part 2 The capabilities and facilities of MRO companies in the Americas. 82 Logical logistics Efficient supply-chain management is crucial to the running of the air transport business — but the high-value nature of commercial aircraft and their parts create uniquely intensive logistics challenges. This makes logistics providers, and the transportation options they choose, fundamental to the smooth operation of the industry, as Chris Kjelgaard reports. 90 Avionics repair and NFF testing Independent avionics repair shops face a challenging future as OEMs move to limit access to support data, according to Bernard Fitzsimons. Meanwhile, the long battle to reduce the incidence of no fault found testing continues.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 98 Maintenance planning and scheduling Predicting things before they happen could be the saviour of many industries. In aviation, this notion is even more telling than in others because the lives of passengers are continually on the line. Automated IT planning and scheduling tools are a key factor in integrated software solutions that enable proactive planning. Tony Arrowsmith looks at some of the latest packages.
DATA & DIRECTIVES 106 Industry data: Airbus A340-500/-600 110 FAA AD biweekly summary listings
Front cover: copyright Patrick Delapierre — AFI KLM E&M
Please visit UBM Aviation at the MRO Show in Miami (Booths 2638/2639) and at the AP&M EXPO (Booth A24)
Size doesn’t matter. Service does.
From a regional jet to the latest in wide-body planes, we’ve got the right portfolio for every aircraft. From a single repair to a long-term service contract, from an engine wash to our Total Support Services, Lufthansa Technik looks after every customer and every service job with the same dedication. We speak from millions of ight hours of experience. So it pays to talk to us. Lufthansa Technik AG, Marketing & Sales E-mail: marketing.sales@lht.dlh.de www.lufthansa-technik.com/engine Call us: +49-40-5070-5553
More mobility for the world
NEWS UPDATE
INBRIEF
NEWSHIGHLIGHTS
The Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association has welcomed Dale Aviation as its 50th member. The company specialises in aircraft recycling, material recovery, maintenance and engineering. Sargent Aerospace & Defense has announced that it is acquiring more than 1,000 737 line-replaceable units, worth around $4m. Most of the parts will be received at the company’s Miami facility in overhauled condition, ready for immediate sale, exchange or leasing. Airbus has announced that it is raising its A330 production rate to 10 aircraft a month due to strong demand. The current rate of eight per month will be increased to nine in early 2012 before reaching 10 in 2Q, 2013. Air New Zealand is to introduce in-flight phone connectivity on its first two new A320s, but remains undecided over installation on later deliveries. The communication system will be provided by OnAir. Air Mauritius has selected PDQ’s consumable care programme for its Airbus fleet. The airline is a new consumable care partner for PDQ and is set to continue the arrangement long-term. Emirates Airline has ordered an additional 84 in-flight mobile connectivity systems from Panasonic Avionics Corporation and AeroMobile. The ‘eXPhone’ systems will be installed on the carrier’s 777-300ER and 777-200LR aircraft. Norwegian has announced the introduction of high-speed broadband on its European flights. The airline has claimed this as a first for Europe. The Federal Aviation Administration has certified Dassault Falcon’s 7X enhanced vision system. The technology provides an image on the head-up display and flight deck displays which enhances visibility in poor conditions. Resource Group has become a value-added reseller for Siemens’ product lifecycle management (PLM) software. UPS is to expand its aircraft health management coverage with Boeing to encompass 38 MD-11 freighters. Ryanair has opened a second maintenance hangar at Glasgow Prestwick Airport. A J Walter has chosen Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, as the site of its new aircraft engine services division. Embraer has named Air Works of Mumbai as an authorised Phenom service centre. Panasonic Avionics Corporation has announced the successful test flight of its eXTV service which enables live television broadcasts on business aircraft. ExecuJet Aviation has opened its fourth fixed base operations site in Europe, having acquired a facility from Assistair in Valencia, Spain. Air Services, a division of Constant Aviation at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, 2 Ohio, has launched a new 15,000ft composite and accessory facility.
4
❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
Nanocoating to be trialled by easyJet A nanotechnology coating that could cut fuel usage by as much as two per cent is to be trialled on eight easyJet aircraft. They will become the first commercial aircraft to test the ultra-thin polymer coating, tripleO, which is already in use on US military aircraft. The coating works by cross-linking and bonding with surface materials — such as paint work, bare metal, leading edges and even rivets — cutting up to 39 per cent of drag by reducing the accumulation of dirt and debris on the surface. Only 4oz is added to the weight of the aircraft when the coating is applied. During the 12-month trial period, the fuel consumption of the eight aircraft with the coating applied will be compared with the rest of the easyJet fleet. A form of the tripleO coating has been used for 20 years as a surface protectant by the US military, but it has only recently been made commercially available, having been re-engineered in 2000 to incorporate nanotechnology into the solution. As reported first by UBM Aviation back in January 2010, the new version of the coating was initially trialled on a Hawker 400XP business jet, with the impressive results leading to further testing with easyJet and other potential customers. The new trials announced by easyJet are the most significant to date and are the first to attract the attention of the mainstream media. If successful, the trials could lead to a widespread use of this promising technology across the aviation industry, as airlines seek to reduce fuel burn and reduce carbon emissions. It is safe to say that other airlines will be monitoring the easyJet trials with considerable interest. “The tripleO solution is proven in some of the most challenging applications, for some of the world’s most demanding military organisations over three decades. Where better to have tested a product such as this for commercial use?” asks Paul Booker, managing director at ooops!, the distributor of the coating in the UK. “For a relatively small investment per aircraft, the financial, marketing and environmental benefits of applying tripleO are many-fold.” The coating is not limited to use on aircraft, and could also be applied to vehicles both on the road and in the water. The manufacturer has also been investigating the application of the coating on aero engines.
AEA warns EU over emissions trading scheme implementation European airlines have warned that there are still serious issues to be resolved if aviation’s inclusion in the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) in 2012 is to be effective. Virgin Atlantic chief executive Steve Ridgway, who was chairing an Association of European Airlines (AEA) meeting for the first time, was particularly worried about the EU’s scheme “creating unfair market distortions or undermining its environmental effectiveness”. Ridgway believes that it is vital for the ETS to be complimented by the use of “clean technology” in order for aviation to truly reduce its environmental impact. “We call on the EU to stimulate the development of step change technologies — putting Europe at the forefront of this new industrial revolution — critical amongst which are sustainable alternative fuels with their obvious potential to reduce aviation’s carbon footprint,” he stated. The AEA said it was willing to fully co-operate with the European Commission in working out the necessary conditions for an effective transition to new generation fuels. Ultimately, the revenues gained from the ETS should be directly invested “to further the aims of an environmental policy”, according to Ridgway. Such a policy would include funding for the SESAR air traffic management project, as well as the research and development into alternative aviation fuels. Goodrich’s electric brakes certified for 787 Goodrich’s 787 electric braking system has been certified after the completion of flight tests. Test conditions involved on-aircraft testing of the wheels and electric brake hardware as well the brake actuator controllers. The 787 system is the sixth incarnation of Goodrich’s electric alternative to traditional hydraulic brakes, a technology the company first pursued 15 years ago. The system includes proprietary carbon heat sink material which Goodrich says enhances brake performance, increases life span by 35 per cent and represents the first electrically actuated brake system on a commercial aircraft. The brakes are to be used in the aircraft of the 787’s launch customer, All Nippon Airlines, amongst others.
Our work... flies with you. Put your components in our hands. Because at Iberia Maintenance we have the capacity to overhaul and repair over 7,000 kits per year and we know how to care for everything down to the tiniest detail, so your aircraft will operate faultlessly. But we really like to go that bit further: we want to take you further, because our work... flies with you.
IBERIA MAINTENANCE Commercial & Development Direction. Madrid - Barajas Airport, La Mu単oza. 28042 Madrid, Spain. Phone: +34 91 587 49 71 / Fax: +34 91 587 49 91. E-mail: maintenance@iberia.es
www.iberiamaintenance.com
NEWS UPDATE
INBRIEF
NEWSHIGHLIGHTS
JetSelect Aircraft Maintenance Services has been certified as a part 145 repair station by the Federal Aviation Administration. American Airlines has granted AeroTurbine the exclusive right to purchase and remarket the airline’s surplus material under a four-year agreement. German airline Condor Flugdienst has selected navAero to supply its Class 2 electronic flight bag system for the airline’s fleet of 757-300 and 767-300ER aircraft. Etihad Airways has selected Jeppesen to provide paper and electronic charting and the company’s ‘FliteDeck Pro’ electronic flight bag applications. PDQ Airspares has achieved EN/AS9120 quality system status for distributors and aerospace stockists. Pats Aircraft Systems has received supplemental type certificate approval for a new configuration of its 757-200 auxiliary fuel system. Air France Industries KLM Engineering and Maintenance is to expand its use of Enigma software. AVISA Aviation Safety Systems and Fokker Services have formed a new strategic partnership. The agreement will introduce to the FLYFokker programme continuing airworthiness and maintenance management services (CAMO) which have been European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) part M approved. Honeywell Aerospace has authorised Dallas Airmotive to supply turbofan engine and auxiliary power unit (APU) support to the AsiaPacific market. Figeac Aéro has held back the opening of its new engine parts production facility in Tunisia in the wake of the political unrest which earlier swept the country. Lufthansa Technik has appointed independent rotable component support specialists Aerotron to actively market LHT rotable material on a loan, exchange and sales basis. Jeppesen has introduced 400 new charts to its commercial airline overlay (CAO) library, at 70-plus locations. Hawker Beechcraft has launched a new $20m plant in Chihuahua City, Mexico. The 180,000ft2 site will be used to process sheet-metal for King Air and Hawker aircraft. The General Aviation Authority of the United Arab Emirates has selected COMSOFT to provide its CADAS aeronautical information management system in Abu Dhabi. The Airports Authority of India has selected SITA to deliver data link departure clearance (DCL) systems that will enable the exchange of air traffic control (ATC) messages with data linkequipped airlines.
6
❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
P&W details GTF testing progress Some 25 hours into ground-testing of its second PurePower PW1524G production-standard geared turbofan for the Bombardier CSeries, and with 200 hours of ground-testing completed on the first production-standard engine as of January, Pratt & Whitney (P&W) says the PW1524G is on track both for specific fuel consumption and for weight. “I am extremely pleased with the first engine,” said Bob Saia, vice president for the new generation product family for Pratt & Whitney Commercial Engines & Global Services, addressing reporters beside the C-11 test stand at P&W’s 6,800-acre engine test facility near West Palm Beach. The second production-standard PW1524G is mounted on the C11 stand for ground testing. At the test stand, Saia said test data had so far shown that PW1524G specific fuel consumption is “on track” and that the approximately 2.5ton engine is also “tracking favourable” on weight, being a little lighter than P&W originally expected. This is good, he says, because weight may have to be added to the engine as it goes through the certification process. The second PW1524G will accumulate at least 50 hours of ground-testing before being sent to the company’s flight-test centre at Mirabel near Montreal, where the engine will be fitted to one of the two flight-test Boeing 747SPs the company uses for flight-testing new engines. P&W is using the first four production-standard PW1524Gs for groundand flight-testing and regards them as experimental engines. According to Saia, none of the four will be delivered to Bombardier for production CSeries aircraft. The first test engine is extensively instrumented to measure the performance of each system within the engine on an individual basis, focusing particularly on the low-pressure spool. Testing of engine No. 2 is focusing on performance on the ground and in the air, while testing of the third engine – to be carried out at P&W’s facilities in Connecticut – will focus on the engine’s high-pressure spool and combustor. Testing of engine No. 4, also to be performed in Connecticut, will primarily focus on endurance, according to Saia. Meanwhile, with the first PW1217G for the Mitsubishi MRJ having been completed in late March, ground-testing of the engine will begin in April at West Palm Beach and will continue for about two and a half months, according to Saia. Apart from fan size (73in for the PW1524G and 56in for the MRJ), the only substantial difference between them is “a slight change in the gear ratio”, he said. The low-pressure spool on the PW1524G will turn three times for every revolution of the fan, while the low spool on the PW1217G will turn “slightly less than three times” for each revolution of the fan.
European satellite navigation system declared available The European Commission has announced the availability of the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) to the aviation industry. The Europe-wide navigation system, which consists of three geostationary satellites and a network of forty ground systems, will augment the United States’ global positioning system (GPS). Aircraft will now be able to precisely establish not only horizontal but vertical position during approaches, even in low visibility. EGNOS is the result of a 15-year joint project between the European Space Agency (ESA) and Eurocontrol, which was handed over to the Commission on April 1, 2009. Europe’s first global navigation satellite system is a precursor to Galileo, a more comprehensive system which is currently under development. BAE Systems ensures future of Avro RJ BAE Systems Regional Aircraft says it has embarked on a longterm maintenance programme for the Avro RJ to enable the aircraft to continue operations for “at least another 20 years”. The company aims to ensure that the programme is completed and introduced well in advance of the fleet lead aircraft requirements. BAE will analyse the past 20 years of actual aircraft operations to derive improved maintenance programmes. It will then update the existing Supplementary Structural Inspections Document (SSID) by introducing the Avro RJ to this programme. This will complement the existing Corrosion Protection and Control Programme (CPCP) which already provides an infinite calendar life for airframes over 20 years. The objective of SSID is to extend the airframe life to 60,000 cycles on completion of this programme. Airbus awards aluminium manufacturing contract to SWA Airbus has signed a procurement frame contract with one of the largest aluminium product producers in China for the manufacture and supply of aluminium plate. Southwest Aluminium’s (SWA) products will initially supply both Airbus’ single-aisle and long-range families, and the contract could be extended to other programmes in the future.
GE Aviation
sometimes it’s about knowing where to look GE’s Fuel and Carbon Solutions brings together technology and consultation to find cost-savings opportunities. Through a comprehensive, collaborative approach, GE Fuel and Carbon Solutions evaluations go beyond the powerplant to provide you with insight into your specific operations and processes. Our experts will work with your team, and then stay with you to support your company through project selection and implementation. And because Fuel and Carbon Solutions is GE’s latest ecomagination offering, you can rest assured that you’re prepared to meet environmental and regulatory challenges around the world. To learn about this product and customized OnPoint consultative solutions, visit geaviation.com/onpoint. SM
NEWS UPDATE
GE Canada and StandardAero to set up research facility GE Canada and StandardAero have entered into an agreement to build a $50m aircraft engine research and technology centre in Winnipeg. The facility will develop advanced testing methods and equipment for GE Aviation engines. It will incorporate test cell capabilities for engines up to 150 inches in diameter with up to 150,000lbs of thrust. It will house a large wind generator for crosswind, ingestion and icing certification testing. The new facility will be constructed on land leased from the Winnipeg Airports Authority and operated by StandardAero. It will initially have a staff of 10, possibly growing to 50 within five years and ultimately able to accommodate 200. It is scheduled to open later in 2011.
Thousandth 767 rolled out A ceremonial rollout of Boeing’s 1,000th 767 has taken place at the company’s Everett, Washington factory. Hundreds of current employees were joined by Boeing retirees who worked on the first 767 to celebrate the occasion. The 1,000th aircraft is a 767-300ER bound for All Nippon Airways (ANA) and was the final 767 to complete assembly on the current production line. Final production work is already underway on the 1,001st unit in a new, smaller bay that is intended to make the process more efficient. FAA reveals secret security measure The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has directed airlines in the US to disable oxygen generators in aircraft lavatories. Airlines completed the modification on 6,000 aircraft on March 4, 2011, but this was not made public until March 10 owing to security fears. Removal of the generators followed multi-agency federal advice to eliminate an unspecified risk. The FAA and aircraft manufacturers are collaborating on a project to develop a replacement oxygen system; in the meantime crew emergency procedures are being reinforced.
8
❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
NEWSHIGHLIGHTS
IAE unveils V2500 SelectTwo International Aero Engines (IAE) has launched V2500 SelectTwo, its next generation V2500 engine. SelectTwo is predicted to reduce fuel burn by 0.58 per cent compared to SelectOne, based on a 500 mile A320 flight. The company says that savings for a fleet of 10 A320s flying 2,300 flights per year amount to 14,800 tons of CO2 and $4.3m. The engine consists of a software upgrade for the electronic engine control (EEC) as well as a new data entry plug (DEP). IAE is currently working with Airbus on a flight test for 2011 which should enable entry into service in 2013. Rio de Janeiro airport deploys Honeywell’s ATM system Galeão–Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport, Rio de Janeiro, has installed a SmartPath Ground Based Augmentation System (GBAS) from Honeywell. The system is designed to modernise air traffic management (ATM) and increase operational capacity. Honeywell says that the first GBAS to be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) can support four runways simultaneously, resulting in time, financial and environmental savings. The modernised ATM capability should help Rio de Janeiro to cope with increased traffic ahead of the 2012 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. ARSA praises the FAA’s reforms The Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) has said that it supports the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorisation and Reform Act of 2011 (HR 658). In a statement, ARSA executive director Sarah MacLeod said: “We congratulate Chairmen Mica and Petri on crafting a bill that will ensure more effective FAA oversight of foreign and domestic repair stations, allow the industry to build on its outstanding safety record, and ensure the continued competitiveness of the US maintenance industry.” It also praised the bill for protecting the sector’s 274,000 American employees and its $39bn annual contribution to the United States economy.
Lufthansa biofuel flights held back Lufthansa has postponed the launch of commercial biofuel flights by a minimum of one month after delays in securing certification. A subcommittee of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International is still finalising certification details for the use of hydrotreated renewable jet (HRJ) fuel in commercial aviation. A six-month trial was originally scheduled for Lufthansa’s Frankfurt-Hamburg route in April, featuring an A321 powered by one out of its two International Aero engines running on a 50/50 blend of biofuel and kerosene. This has now been pushed back to the end of May.
MNG’s new hangar now operational MNG Technic has moved into a new, larger hangar at Istanbul Ataturk International Airport and started to receive aircraft there. The 25,000m2 facility can accommodate up to 16 narrowbody aircraft, or four widebodies plus eight narrowbodies. MNG’s old hangar has been taken over by Onur Air. SAS and Alpha Star aim for Riyadh JV Sikorsky Aerospace Services (SAS) and Alpha Star Aviation Services have signed a letter of intent (LOI) to form a joint venture (JV) for the provision of support and maintenance services in Saudi Arabia. The JV would operate from Riyadh, where Alpha Star is based. Boeing to use Eurotech’s subsystems Boeing subcontractor ARINC Engineering Services has purchased Eurotech subsystems for 737 aircraft. Announcing the contract, Eurotech said that its DuraCOR 820 mission computer and DuraMAR 3230 network router subsytems will be deployed as part of a satellite and communications upgrade. LHT and Panasonic Avionics JV goahead The European Commission has approved a cabin systems joint venture (JV) between Lufthansa Technik (LHT) and Panasonic Avionics. The JV will operate under the branding ‘Idair’ and will offer design, manufacture and supply of specialised aircraft cabin equipment. The Commission passed the JV through its simplified merger review procedure. Qantas looks at sustainable fuels Qantas has announced a collaboration with renewable energy company Solazyme. A 12-month feasibility study will investigate the potential use of sustainable aviation fuel developed from algae. Solazyme says that its Solajet fuel was the first of its kind to pass the eleven test specifications to meet ASTM D1665 (Jet-A1) standard. The arrangement with Solazyme forms part of Qantas’ broader strategy to establish partnerships which may improve sustainability. The airline has come to a similar agreement with Solena Group, focusing on waste-based sustainable fuel.
NEWS UPDATE
Embraer launches US final assembly operations Embraer has opened its first final assembly facility in the United States, at Melbourne International Airport, Florida. The $50m plant and paint shop, which took two years to build, covers 150,000ft2 and can accommodate 200 personnel. It will be used for the production of Phenom 100 and 300 jets, initially focusing exclusively on clearing a backlog of the Phenom 100. The company must now install tooling before manufacturing and delivering the first US-built Phenom 100, planned for 4Q 2011. The customer centre is due to be completed in November, 2011. EC grants funding for Volvo ICC Volvo Aero is to be granted approximately €12m ($16.5m) to develop the intermediate compressor case (ICC) for the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engine. The European Commission authorised under EU State aid rules a repayable advance to Sweden for that sum, which the country will grant to Volvo Aero. The Commission found that the aid complies with the requirements of the EU framework for state aid for research, development and innovation, because the positive effects of the aid outweigh the potential distortions of competition. Virgin Blue to build Sydney widebody hangar Virgin Blue is to build a widebody hangar at Sydney Airport as part of a new engineering maintenance base. Planning for the hangar, which will be able to accommodate up to four narrowbody aircraft, or two narrowbodies and one widebody, is already underway. Construction is expected to be complete by late 2012. Airbus signs Aircelle for A320neo Airbus has contracted Aircelle, a subsidiary of Safran Group, to provide a complete integrated nacelle package for A320neo aircraft powered by CFM International LEAP-X engines. The agreement also involves Aircelle’s Nexcelle joint venture (JV) partner, GE’s Middle River Aircraft Systems (MRAS). Aircelle says it is running full-scale demonstrator programmes to validate several innovations which improve on A380 nacelle technology for the A320neo.
10 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
NEWSHIGHLIGHTS Hydrogen fuel cell
Water out
Hydrogen in
-
-
+
+
+
Oxygen in
+ +
-
+
- +
Energy out
Nanotechnology breakthrough could see hydrogen emerge as cleanest fuel of all EADS Innovation Works believes that nanotechnology could pave the way for the use of hydrogen as a fuel for powering aircraft engines; a development that would bring about dramatic reductions in carbon emissions. The company has unveiled plans to fly an unmanned hydrogen-powered test aircraft in 2014.
The research arm of EADS is working with researchers at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, to find a new solid state storage system for hydrogen; the team is to use nanotechnology to overcome the current problems, such as storage, which prevent hydrogen being used to power aircraft commercially. Hydrogen is a clean fuel which produces only water on combustion or when combined with oxygen in a fuel cell to produce electrical power. However, it is expensive and difficult to store safely — and must be stored in solid form if it is to be of any use. But to do so will require the team to minimise the weight and volume of the store and to increase the transfer rate from the tank to a fuel cell or engine — barriers which are currently holding back the use of hydrogen on an industrial scale. The researchers hope that nanotechnology will alter the design and material composition of a storage tank with the aim of increasing efficiency to make its use commercially viable. “Using new active nanomaterials in combination with novel storage tank design principles presents a hugely exciting opportunity to address the considerable challenges of introducing hydrogen as a fuel for aviation,” commented Duncan Gregory, professor of inorganic materials at the School of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow, who is leading the research. “This collaboration between engineers and chemists and between industry and academia provides the pathway to achieve this.” EADS and professor Gregory’s team believe that the storage problem is the major barrier to the use of hydrogen as a commercial fuel, and once overcome, it might yield rapid progress in the field. They are thus seeking funding from the European Union to build a European-wide team of academic and industrial partners to examine the wider issues relating to the industrial use of hydrogen to power aircraft and car engines. GE invests $60m in new test bed GE Aviation has announced a $60m investment in its engine testing facility in Victorville, California. It will purchase and refurbish a 747-400 CF6-80C2 powered aircraft which will be converted into a flying test bed for the next generation of engines, initially the LEAP-X. The new test bed will replace the current model, which has been in operation since 1992 and is the oldest version of the 747 still in use in the United States. In preparation for flight-testing, the wing and strut of the aircraft will be redesigned and reinforced to accommodate a variety of engine sizes and weights. The aircraft will also undergo interior modification and installation of data systems and integration equipment. Safran and COMAC subsidiaries agree JV Subsidiaries of Safran Group and Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) are to form a joint venture (JV) to develop and manufacture aircraft wiring. Labinal, of Safran Group, and COMAC’s Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Company (SAMC) will produce electrical wiring interconnection systems (EWIS) for the Asia Pacific market.
New Airbus composites plant opens in China Airbus and a group of its Chinese partners have inaugurated a joint venture (JV), Harbin Hafei Airbus Composite Manufacturing Centre. The facilities in Harbin will manufacture composite components for Airbus’ latest aircraft programme, the A350 XWB. Composites manufacture will comprise a significant proportion of the five per cent of A350 XWB airframe work packages to be carried out in China. The new centre currently covers 33,800m2 but will be increased to 80,000 m2 of production, technical support, offices and other functions. EC authorises R&D memorandum The European Commission has authorised the signing and provisional application of a memorandum of co-operation with the US aimed at promoting civil aviation research and development activities. It will also ensure interoperability between the next generation of European and US air traffic management programmes, SESAR and NextGen. The memorandum creates a general legally binding framework, with rules on issues such as governance, intellectual property rights, reciprocity and liability, to be complemented by addenda on specific issues. Airbus approves TAECO as cabinoutfitter Airbus has added Taikoo (Xiamen) Aircraft Engineering Company (TAECO) to its worldwide network of approved cabin outfitting centres for corporate jets, now eightstrong. TAECO, a subsidiary of Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company (HAECO), is the manufacturer’s first approved cabin-outfitter in the Asia-Pacific region. Smith’s (Harlow) Aerospace progresses with Air Baltic project Smith’s (Harlow) Aerospace has announced that it is progressing with a F50 landing gear repair and overhaul programme for Air Baltic. The work, which began in December, 2010, includes the exchange, repair and overhaul of F50 main gears, nose gears and associated braces and links. Managing director Rob Smith commented: “The Air Baltic project further confirms our position as a leading F50 gear overhauler and strengthens our focus on regional aircraft gear repairs.”
&OHJOF -FBTJOH "TTFU .BOBHFNFOU "MM .BOVGBDUVSFS 5ZQFT -POH .FEJVN 4IPSU 5FSN -FBTFT r 0QFSBUJOH -FBTFT r "TTFU .BOBHFNFOU r 4BMFT -FBTFCBDLT "MM .BOVGBDUVSFS 5ZQFT r 0QFSBUJOH -FBTFT "TTFU .BOBHFNFOU r 4BMFT -FBTFCBDLT "MM .BOVGBDUVSFS 5ZQFT r -POH .FEJVN 4IPSU 5FSN -FBTFT r 0QFSBUJOH -FBTFT r "TTFU .BOBHFNFOU r &OHJOF 5SBEJOH r "MM .BOVGBDUVSFS 5ZQFT r 4BMFT -FBTFCBDLT r "TTFU NFOU r -POH .FEJVN 4IPSU 5FSN -FBTFT r 0QFSBUJOH -FBTFT FU .BOBHFNFOU r "MM .BOVGBDUVSFS 5ZQFT r 4BMFT -FBTFCBDLT -FBTFT r &OHJOF 5SBEJOH r -POH .FEJVN 4IPSU 5FSN -FBTFT .BOVGBDUVSFS 5ZQFT r 0QFSBUJOH -FBTFT r "TTFU .BOBHFNFOU T r -POH .FEJVN 4IPSU 5FSN -FBTFT r 0QFSBUJOH -FBTFT BOVGBDUVSFS 5ZQFT r 4BMFT -FBTFCBDLT r &OHJOF 5SBEJOH FEJVN 4IPSU 5FSN -FBTFT r 0QFSBUJOH -FBTFT r 4BMFT BTFCBDLT r &OHJOF 5SBEJOH r "TTFU .BOBHFNFOU r -POH VN 4IPSU 5FSN -FBTFT r &OHJOF 5SBEJOH r 0QFSBUJOH BTFT r "MM .BOVGBDUVSFS 5ZQFT r "TTFU .BOBHFNFOU 4IPSU 5FSN -FBTFT r "TTFU .BOBHFNFOU r 4BMFT TFCBDLT r "MM .BOVGBDUVSFS 5ZQFT r -POH .FEJVN 4IPSU 5FSN -FBTFT r 0QFSBUJOH -FBTFT r "TTFU NFOU r 4BMFT -FBTFCBDLT r "MM .BOVGBDUVSFS FNFOU r -POH .FEJVN 4IPSU 5FSN -FBTFT r 0QFSBUJOH -FBTFT r "TTFU .BOBHFNFOU F T -FBTFCBDLT r "MM .BOVGBDUVSFS 5ZQFT .FEJVN 4IPSU 5FSN -FBTFT r 0QFSBUJOH "TTFU .BOBHFNFOU r 4BMFT -FBTFCBDLT BTFT r "MM .BOVGBDUVSFS 5ZQFT r -POH JVN 4IPSU 5FSN -FBTFT r 0QFSBUJOH TFT "TTFU .BOBHFNFOU r &OHJOF 5SBEJOH r "MM .BOVGBDUVSFS 5ZQFT FCBDLT r &OHJOF 5SBEJOH r "TTFU NFOU r .FEJVN 4IPSU 5FSN r 0QFSBUJOH -FBTFT r "TTFU FOU r "MM .BOVGBDUVSFS 5ZQFT -FBTFCBDLT r 0QFSBUJOH r &OHJOF 5SBEJOH r -POH N 4IPSU 5FSN -FBTFT MM .BOVGBDUVSFS 5ZQFT "TTFU .BOBHFNFOU EJVN 4IPSU 5FSN BTFT r 0QFSBUJOH FT -FBTFCBDLT .FEJVN 4IPSU SBUJOH -FBTFT DLT r &OHJOF r 0QFSBUJOH N -FBTFT HFNFOU 5ZQFT BTFT FOU FT N
,&&1*/( :06 */ 5)& "*3
XXX FMGD DPN
NEWS UPDATE
CONTRACTS n GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes has contracted Delta TechOps to provide a minimum of 50 per cent of its required CFM56-7 engine overhauls and maintenance services for 737NG components in a five-year deal. n Austrian Airlines has contracted TAT Technologies subsidiary Piedmont Aviation Component Services to provide maintenance on the auxiliary power units on its 767 fleet. The contract runs for a period of five years. n Malaysia Airlines has selected Ancra International to provide four firm main deck cargo loading systems for their four recently ordered A330-200F aircraft. n West Atlantic has awarded StandardAero a long-term contract covering more than 80 Pratt & Whitney Canada PW126 and PW126A engines. The agreement is for engine maintenance, field support and consultancy. n Air Mauritius has contracted Air France Industries KLM Engineering and Maintenance to maintain its A319 and A340 fan thrusters. The agreement is for six years. n Canadian North has handed two five-year maintenance contracts to Aveos, which are to include airframe, engine, component and line maintenance services. It also covers inventory, engineering, fleet management and records services for the airline’s new 737-300 aircraft. n Pratt & Whitney has been selected by All Nippon Airways to provide repair and material management services on the PW4000 engines powering the carrier’s 777 fleet. The 10-year contract is valued at more than $1bn. n Gazpromavia Aviation has selected AFI KLM Engineering & Maintenance to provide APU overhaul, repair and spares for its three 737 NG aircraft. The contract runs five years and will be carried out by AFI KLM E&M’s wholly owned subsidiary, EPCOR. n Pratt and Whitney has selected Avio for a long-term supply agreement worth €4bn over 20-25 years. The contract is for the PurePower PW1500G. n Alitalia affiliate CAI First has contracted JorAMCo to provide intermediate checks and heavy maintenance on its fleet of six Embraer 170 aircraft. n Emirates has selected Rolls-Royce for a long-term services contract covering Trent engines for 70 on-order A350 XWB aircraft. n Honeywell has won two new contracts with Sri Lankan Airlines and Jet Airways India. The company will supply maintenance services for Sri Lankan Airlines’ four A320s, which are fitted with Honeywell’s 131-9A auxiliary power units. Jet Airways and its subsidiary JetLite have contracted Honeywell to provide maintenance support for the 131-9B APUs on its 737NG aircraft and the 331-350 APUs on its A330s. n Webjet Linhas Aereas has selected AeroTurbine in a three-year engine management contract. AeroTurbine, a subsidiary of AerCap Holdings, will handle all off-wing engine maintenance for the airline’s CFM56-3 powered fleet — currently 45 engines. n Thomas Cook Airlines has renewed its long-term partnership with Sabena technics. The new contract covers component support plus line and light maintenance of the airline’s seven A320s. n Faroe Islands national airline Atlantic Airways has placed an order with STG Aerospace for the company’s ‘Wireless Emergency Primary Power System’. The airline has ordered the kits for its entire fleet of Avro RJs. STG said it had also received an order for the WEPPS system from Spanish airline Privilege Style for its 757-200. n Primera Air Scandinavia has chosen JobAir Technic to supply maintenance and airframe modification services on its 737 NG fleet. The contract covers base and heavy maintenance for 737-700 and 737-800 aircraft. n Saudi Arabian Airlines has selected Boeing to upgrade the interiors of the airline’s 777-200ER fleet. 22 of its 23 777-200ERs will undergo modifications to the seats and in-flight entertainment systems. n PrivatAir has expanded its 30-year technical support relationship with Lufthansa Technik to include technical operations management with fleet manager and service level agreements. n Airberlin, Europe’s third-biggest budget airlines, has extended a contract with SR Technics for the provision of maintenance services for more than 300 engines. n Bombardier has contracted the composites division of Kaman Corporation to support the Learjet 85 programme; it will manufacture composite passenger entry and over-wing exit doors at its facility in Lancashire, United Kingdom. n New Cameroon-based airline Camair-Co, which is due to commence flights on March 28, 2011, has signed Lufthansa Technik to provide line maintenance and component services for its four-strong fleet of 737 NG and 767 aircraft.
12 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
n Philippine Airlines has contracted AFI KLM Engineering & Maintenance to provide maintenance and engineering support for the GE90 engines powering its fleet of 777-300ERs. n Ak Bars Aero has selected Lufthansa Technik and Lufthansa Technik AERO Alzey to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul services for CF34 engines. n NordStar has selected MTU Maintenance Hannover for a time-and-material contract which will run for five years. n New operator Mega Maldives has chosen Avtrade to supply full component support for its 767-300 aircraft until 2016. n SunExpress, the joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, has selected Turkish Technic to provide landing gear maintenance services for its 737800 aircraft. n New Caledonia-based Aircalin has extended its A320 and A330 component contract with Air France Industries KLM Engineering and Maintenance. n Low-cost airline AirAsia X has selected Lufthansa Technik Philippines to provide light C-checks throughout 2011 for its fleet of Airbus aircraft. n Embraer has selected Crane Aerospace & Electronics to provide the landing gear and hydraulic control units and associated sensors for the Embraer Legacy 450 and 500 Executive Jets. n The Czech Republic’s Travel Service has extended a total engine support contract with Lufthansa Technik, which has been in place since 2007. It will now continue until 2020. LHT will provide a full range of services for CFM56-7B engines in 737NG aircraft.
PEOPLE l Mxi Technologies has appointed Scott Helmer as chief financial officer and Blair Geddes as director. Helmer has 15 years’ experience in senior financial positions with technology companies in the communications and information security markets. Geddes has spent 20 years working in the telecom, software and defence industries and has significant experience in finance and management. He will chair the board’s audit committee and serve on the compensation committee. l TP Aerospace Technics has appointed Oliver Malinowski as its new managing director. He has held a variety of positions at Air Berlin. Malinowski will have responsibility for the day to day operation of the Hamburg-based repair shop. l Boeing has appointed Jeffrey Johnson as president of its operations in the Middle East (ME). He will be based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and will report to president of Boeing International Shep Hill, who is also SVP of business development and strategy. l Baines Simmons, a provider of aviation safety solutions, has appointed Ivan Christiansen to its quality consultancy division. Christiansen has more than 20 years’ experience in the aviation industry. l Sargent Aerospace and Defense has appointed Gil Jackson to the new position of technical business development manager, aftermarket services. The role will involve increasing business opportunities for Sargent’s landing gear component offering as well as power plant exhausts and flight controls. Jackson has more than 24 years’ experience in the landing gear business. l Boeing has announced the appointment of Jack Jones as VP and general manager of its South Carolina (SC) facility, which is handling some of the manufacturing, assembly and systems installation for the 787 Dreamliner, and ultimately final assembly and delivery. Jones is replacing Tim Coyle, who will lead Boeing’s Aviation Technical Services (ATS) team in Everett, Washington. l PremiAir, the UK-based aviation services company, has appointed Mike Preston as director of engineering & maintenance. He will take responsibility for fixed-wing and rotary maintenance at the group’s Oxford, Biggin Hill and Blackbushe facilities.
NEWS UPDATE
C919 completes preliminary design phase Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) says it has completed the preliminary design phase of its C919 aircraft and is now beginning the final design definition phase. This will lay the foundation for airworthiness certification and validation in 2012, as well as the manufacturing of the first prototype, testing, final assembly and flight tests. Detailed design should be completed by 2012 to support the first flight in 2014. Type certification is scheduled to be accomplished by 2016 and the manufacturer says the programme remains on track for entry into commercial service in 2016.
ATR 42-500/72-500 EASA-approved for -45°C The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has certified ATR 42-500 and ATR 72-500 aircraft to operate at ground temperatures of -45°C. The Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) of Russia has also authorised operations in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Flight and ground tests were conducted on an ATR 72-500 in Siberia in 2010, allowing certification by similarity of the ATR 42-500. ATR now aims for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval to similarly increase cold weather operations in the United States from -35°C to -45°C. EMTEQ tail light FAA-approved The FAA has passed EMTEQ’s supplemental type certificate (STC) for the tail light in the Bombardier regional jet 1000/200/400 (CL600-2B19). The company’s LED anti-collision/position navigation light is designed to replace the existing combined light. EMTEQ says the new light can be fitted in under two hours during overnight maintenance checks. Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) is due to be issued in 1Q, 2011.
PRODUCTS Sunnen says its new SV-410 Series vertical CNC honing system combines a wide choice of tooling options, large work envelope, and up to 1524 mm (60”) stroke for bore sizing of small and medium-sized gas/diesel engine blocks, oil/gas components, hydraulic/pneumatic parts, compressors, bearing sleeves, gear hobs and similar small or large multi-bore parts. A work envelope of 915 mm x 1015 mm (36” x 40”) and weight capacity up to 90 kg (2000 lb) provide versatility for processing a wide range parts. Corena has released Version 6.0 of its S1000D CSDB software. It features a generic pool suite that supports both types of S1000D technical information repositories (TIRs) plus any reusable content such as warnings, cautions, notes, acronyms and international traffic in arms regulations (ITAR) statements. Further enhancements include new functionality for flexible BREX validation, the CSDB user interface and the transfer suite. Enigma has launched InService MRO 5.0, an upgrade of its existing solution for service and parts processes. The company says the new software offers enhancements in asset utilisation, inventory optimisation and compliance. It claims that InService MRO 5.0 is the first system in the world to be able to process SGML (S1000D, ATA2200 and 2300) XML and PDF under a unified approach. Machida has launched two new videoscopes. The first, the Machida 2mm Videoscope, VSC-2-86 has the same superior optical quality as the company’s 3mm Videoscope, but in a smaller outer diameter for even more remote inspections. Meanwhile, the Machida 3mm Working Channel Videoscope, VSC-3-140-NPC, has all the standard features of the VSC-3-140-N, but also permits the passage of tools to the distal tip for performing inspections and physical tasks at the examination site. Gulf Air has introduced a portable in-flight entertainment (IFE) solution for its premium class passengers. The new system, supplied by digEcor, is a handheld device which is operated by touchscreen and offers access to a multi-language film library as well as television programmes, games and music. digEcor will also provide maintenance and repair services for the IFE system. Gulf Air says the new system is the first in a series of upgrades to its onboard products and services. Miro Technologies has launched GOLDesp 11.5, an upgrade of previous MRO, supply and performance-based logistics (PBL) programmes. Version 11.5 includes alterations to supply/material and maintenance GOLDesp modules. Miro says supply managers can now avail of enhancements in: shipment status visibility; kitting assembly capabilities; disposition scheduling functionality; and item workbench and pick list design. The maintenance module features new Web 2.0 screens for work recording, workflow and engineering management. Engineering orders and component data have both been restructured, the latter as a modifiable tree format. Dichtomatik has launched its high performance chemically resistant Kalrez O-ring seals, which are rated for operation at temperatures down to -42°C. These products are the latest in the DuPont Kalrez Spectrum perfluoroelastomer range. The Kalrez Spectrum 0040 material is suitable for performance at high altitudes and arctic latitudes, making them ideal for cutting edge operations taking place in some of the most hostile environments on the planet.
Hawker Pacific to expand Singapore operations Hawker Pacific has announced plans to build an $11.6m customer sales and services centre at Seletar Aerospace Park, Singapore. This will expand its existing capabilities in the area by the creation of a 32,000ft2 heavy maintenance centre plus an additional 27,000ft2 which includes workshops, parts storage, undercover jet parking and fixed base operations (FBO) and training facilities. The new Singapore facility follows the launch of a similar business aviation service centre in Shanghai one year ago. First Asia Pacific certification for Phenom 100, 300 Embraer’s Phenom 100 and 300 executive jets have been certified for the first time in Asia Pacific, after Indonesia’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation approved the aircraft. Both aircraft types were launched by Embraer in 2005. The entry level Phenom 100 was certified by the Brazilian Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in December 2008, and by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) the following year. The Phenom 300 was certified in Brazil and the US in December 2009. Bombardier adds Challenger 605 simulator in Dallas Bombardier has extended its training capabilities in Dallas with the introduction of a new level D full flight simulator (FFS) from CAE. The move is designed to serve the increasing number of Challenger 605 business jet operators in the United States and abroad.
747-8 successfully runs the gauntlet Boeing has announced that the 747-8 Intercontinental has completed its final gauntlet test, which took two days. The test involved simulating flight conditions to ensure that all systems are flightready. First flight will occur after final flight readiness reviews, receipt of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) documentation and taxi testing.
❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙ 13
INDUSTRY FOCUS
MRO global outlook 2011: An industry on the rebound
14 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
INDUSTRY FOCUS
What are the prospects for the MRO industry in 2011, and beyond? Which regions are making the strongest recovery from the global downturn? Jason Holland assesses the state of play as some of the biggest companies reveal the most important emerging trends and growth strategies in the sector.
â?™ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 â?™ 15
INDUSTRY FOCUS
Among its capabilities as the world’s largest third-party MRO, ST Aerospace has become a GE-approved GEnx On-Wing Support provider.
Previous page: Canada’s Aveos, now an independent operator having originally been the maintenance arm of Air Canada, counts more than 100 customers worldwide. Aveos has a contract with Air Canada to be its exclusive provider of airframe maintenance services until 2013; the MRO says it has “every intention” of continuing this deal.
16 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
he MRO industry is set to rebound this year from the difficulties endured in 2009 and 2010 — a period that was “much bleaker” than many analysts had foreseen, according to Ron van Manen of VZM Management Services. The rebound in the sector will take place in 2011-2012, but after this initial recovery, growth will be much slower. “At the global level, short- to medium-term demand will be driven by some ‘catch up’ in the system, such as parked aircraft returning and requiring deferred maintenance,” says van Manen. “A ‘wave effect’ in deliveries with a large concentration of new aircraft from a number of peak years, particularly narrowbodies, tends to get heavy maintenance and engine overhaul to bunch together in peak years, and this may be about to hit us once again.”
T
In fact, van Manen goes so far as to say that the MRO industry has suffered something of a ‘lost decade’ (2001-2010) with growth “virtually non-existent”. Although he apportions much of the blame on a succession of major global events — 9/11, the Iraq war, worldwide recession — he rightly points out that there is no reason to assume other shocks won’t occur going forward. The MRO industry’s rebound is thus a welcome, but fragile, one.
Survival of the fittest Despite the aviation industry in general making something of a recovery from the global recession in 2010, with international passenger volumes climbing just above pre-crisis levels before year-end, the MRO sector itself will by its very nature experience downturns and
INDUSTRY FOCUS
Percentage of airframe heavy maintenance spend by region from 2011-2015 and 2015-2019
North America Western Europe Asia-Pacific Middle East China Latin America Eastern Europe Africa India
2011-2015
2015-2019
32% 29.6% 13.8% 5.7% 5.2% 5.1% 3.5% 3.5% 1.5%
30.6% 28.9% 14.3% 6.5% 6.6% 5.0% 3.2% 3.1% 1.8% Source: OAG Aviation
recovery much later than the rest of the industry. According to Walter Heerdt, SVP marketing & sales at Lufthansa Technik, the MRO market began to show growth in the second half of 2010 compared with the previous year: “The MRO market increased in 2010 by approximately 2.5 per cent to $45bn and shall grow at an average of 4.2 per cent per year over the next five years.” MROs were forced to adopt survival strategies during the downturn, and the most successful are now prospering. Despite a wide variety of strategies being adopted, certain
18 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
trends still emerged. “The strong survivors in the MRO industry made significant cost cutting investments during the downturn cycle. Process improvement programmes like Lean and Six Sigma have helped many companies compensate for not being able to pass on cost increases to their customers,” explains Jack Arehart, VP, commercial sales and marketing at AAR. “The leading MRO suppliers have strong balance sheets today, with streamlined operations and an appetite for being even more vertically integrated than before.”
Just Fly. Working with AAR means you can focus on the job at hand. So while you take care of flying, we’ll take care of everything else. No matter what you fly, AAR has the integrated maintenance, logistics and production capabilities to deliver a complete, effective support solution so you can Just Fly. u
Airframe & Landing Gear MRO
u
Parts & Supply Chain Services
u
Aircraft and Engine Sales & Leasing
u
Cargo Handling Systems
u
PMA Development & Engineering Services
u
Precision Fabrication
Visit AAR at MRO Americas, Exhibit 623. Aviation Supply Chain | MRO | Structures & Systems | Government & Defense Services
630.227.2000 | www.aarcorp.com
INDUSTRY FOCUS
Iberia Maintenance & Engineering’s Jose Luis Quirós, sales, marketing & business development director takes the survival of the fittest concept further. “In our opinion, if a MRO is not becoming global, efficient and with enough critical mass to translate to its customers the benefit of size, [it] will face severe problems in the midterm.” Ludovic Loisel, VP strategy at AFI KLM E&M, believes that the pressure on prices that emerged during the economic downturn will continue in 2011, because of “airlines’ demands and stronger competition among MRO players”. Loisel also identifies a significant shift taking place in the MRO sector. “[It] is on the brink of an important change, as aircraft, engines and components manufacturers are strongly positioning themselves — by every means — on after-sell and MRO services for next-generation aircraft. Such a move is not only a concern for MRO players but also for airlines, as it could end in a significant increase in their maintenance costs.” van Manen believes the impact of the 787 programme delay will also be an important factor in the outlook for MRO. “In terms of new aircraft, Airbus has had a field day selling
significant numbers of A330s. In MRO the impact seems to be a sharp spike in 767 events, as several airlines due to receive the 787 are being forced to service old 767 fleets that had been set to be ridden out to retirement. Slots for aircraft checks could be tight — but probably only for a modest one to two year period.” Looking at other global trends, it seems that the majority of MRO work taking place right now is in the mainstay narrowbody fleet: particularly the A320 and the ‘NG’ variant of the 737 programme. As a consequence of this, aircraft maintenance is changing. Increasingly, C-check level maintenance is being spread over phased/equalised maintenance programmes, mainly in the narrowbody sector. “This is going to have a noticeable — negative — impact on heavy maintenance volumes and demand,” says van Manen. Meanwhile, accelerated retirement is set to kick in across 747-400, MD-11 and early A340 fleets. According to van Manen, these will be replaced predominantly by the large twin 777/787 and A350 aircraft, while the “honeymoon effect” will significantly depress MRO volumes at the receiving airlines. At the other end
INDUSTRY FOCUS
of the scale, smaller regional jets are being replaced by larger turboprops or 90-110 seat passenger aircraft. The 50-70 seat regional jet market has now almost entirely disappeared. The effect on MRO is delayed, lagging these fleet trends by up to five years, so the impact of these changing fleets will take some time to work its way through the industry. To add some context, the world’s fleet of aircraft is forecasted to grow at an annual rate of 3.2 per cent, from around 19,000 aircraft today to more than 36,000 in 2029. The biggest growth in fleet is forecast to be in the Asia Pacific region, which is expected to order 10,320 new aircraft (approximately 34 per cent of new global aircraft orders) valued at $1.3tn over the next 20 years. For MROs, “the Middle East, India and Asia Pacific are the double digit growth rate regions, therefore it is a must to be there”, says Quirós.
Regional variations The two biggest markets for MRO — North America and Europe — suffered a sharp downturn during the global recession, with the effects much less pronounced in other regions. The BRIC countries — Brazil, India and China
— fared relatively well, while the Middle East, Asia and Latin America can be said to have suffered more of a slowdown than a full scale downturn. Much harder to predict though have been the regional recovery rates. “The rebound in the North American aviation market was the most pronounced and the more surprising one,” comments van Manen. AAR’s Arehart says many positive developments have taken place. “AAR is seeing increased flying hours from its main customer base, aircraft have been re-called from storage and new deliveries are becoming more common,” he says. “FY2011 is certainly shaping up for AAR, from both revenue and profit perspectives.” The North American sector has seen some airline consolidation, which will have a knock-on effect on maintenance. The United-Continental merger, for example, has seen significant changes taking place at the former United Services. The MRO is now known as United Technical Operations and is “100 per cent focused on the new United fleet maintenance”, according to a spokesperson. She said that MRO services were provided to “selective customers”.
There will be only a few mega-regional and global MRO providers, with a few substantially smaller niche players remaining on the fringe. —James Stewart, CEO, SR Technics
AS RARE AS A CFM SHOP VISIT. In March 2010, the Australian town of Lajamanu experienced a freak downpour of spangled perch. An event almost as rare as a CFM* shop visit. CFM reliability is legendary. 70% of all CFM56-5B and CFM56-7B engines in the world are yet to make their first shop visit. Over the life of the engine a CFM56 will undergo just three shop visits. In fact, it can be up to 10 years before it is removed for servicing. For a long range forecast on airline profitability, visit www.cfm56.com/reliability-metrics. You’ll see how bright the outlook could be. *
CFM, CFM56 and the CFM logo are all trademarks of CFM International, a 50/50 joint company of Snecma and General Electric Co.
INDUSTRY FOCUS
Percentage of engine maintenance spend by region from 2011-2015 and 2015-2019
North America Western Europe Asia-Pacific Middle East China Latin America Eastern Europe Africa India
2011-2015
2015-2019
31% 25% 18% 5.8% 6.4% 5.9% 2.6% 3.5% 1.7%
28.7% 23.7% 18.7% 6.9% 7.9% 6.3% 2.4% 3.1% 1.5% Source: OAG Aviation
Although North America has recovered extremely well, the rebound in Europe has been much more modest and “importantly, it did not carry a bumper return to profit like in the US system,” says van Manen. One of the reasons for this discrepancy was the impact of a series of unfortunate events in the European sector: volcanic ash causing flights to be cancelled and airports to be shutdown; widespread industrial action; and two winters of heavy snow. Although rebounding now, European MROs have suffered badly in the last few years. “We are expecting the market to return to growth in the second half of 2011. However, we have
22 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
seen a substantial reduction of MRO market demand (through grounding and subsequent phase out of aircraft, against record new aircraft deliveries) as well as the general depression of market pricing over recent years,” says SR Technics’ CEO James Stewart. “Because of this, SR Technics believes the market has permanently lost two to three years of expansion, which in 2007/8 almost everybody thought would be realised in the coming years.” One of the side effects of the recession has been a general increase in activity in the product enhancements sector. Airlines have sought lie-flat beds, premium economy seating, and inflight connectivity in high volumes — which is
INDUSTRY FOCUS
AFI KLM E&M is pursuing a strategy of developing a worldwide MRO network, bringing services closer to its customers’ bases and markets. The MRO has, for instance, partnered with Max Aerospace in India to create Max MRO. indicative of a market chasing premium yields. “Yield improvements were the big upside to 2010,” states van Manen. AAR’s Arehart agrees: “Many carriers used the recent window to make investments in aircraft interiors by improving seating options, adding improved IFE and installing winglets. AAR’s Engineering Services and Aircraft MRO business units have been very active in these modifications.” Looking at events so far in 2011, it would appear that the planet is barreling from crisis to crisis. Unrest in the Middle East has caused oil prices to soar, and the impact of events in Japan will also be felt. “In the beginning of the year, we were hopeful that the current airlines upturn would continue and we were expecting
some recovery in our business from mid to late 2011, but the current Middle East unrest with its consequential higher fuel prices and the ongoing crisis in Japan have cast shadows on the robustness of this recovery,” comments Chang Cheow Teck, ST Aerospace president. van Manen fears that, in a mirror image of 2010, “the industry profit forecasts will change on a month-by-month basis, only downwards this time. There is not much room left for bad news without global airline margins going negative again in the short term”. Although the effect of recent events in Japan is likely to be limited to the intra Asian and intercontinental travel to/from Japan markets (with very limited impact on MRO events),
How the MROs have bounced back With the MRO market trying to rebound from the global downturn, ATE&M asked a selection of MROs about their strategies for future growth.
Walter Heerdt, SVP marketing & sales, Lufthansa Technik Lufthansa Technik has passed the economic and financial crisis relatively well through increases in efficiency, high utilisation of flexible working hours, and process innovations. This year saw a slight increase in revenue, but as expected we were not quite able to match the record earnings of the year before. Due to continuing cost pressure on our customers and resulting price pressure for MRO, only providers with competitive unit costs and attractive packages to offer will be able to profit from the MRO market’s growth. We continue to evaluate business opportunities in all regions and new markets. We will also invest in our facilities, training, processes, new products and further product improvement. This has paid off in the past and will be continued in the future.
24 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
Repair beats replacement! Your advantage is our goal.
See you at MRO Americas 2011 April 12-14, 2011 Miami, FL Booth # 840
The MTU Maintenance group is renowned for excellentvalue engine maintenance. For a quarter of a century, the company has been a reliable partner of many airlines, offering a compelling choice of customized service packages. We aim to repair rather than replace, using the very latest inspection, maintenance and repair technologies. Forget about expensive replacement parts and keep costs down. Expect us to provide outstanding repairs and short off-wing times – worldwide and at affordable prices. www.mtu.de
INDUSTRY FOCUS
In the European market, Iberia Maintenance & Engineering is aiming to become “specialists” in certain products, “competing based on lower labour rates on services where relocation in other regions would be anti-economical [such as narrowbody light C checks]” as well as developing lean processes.
Jose Luis Quirós, sales, marketing & business development director, Iberia Maintenance & Engineering Iberia Maintenance & Engineering’s long term strategy was defined and initiated three years ago, so we are at this time collecting some of the results of it. One of the most challenging strategies was to build up a much more flexible cost structure that could easily be adjusted to the changes in workload, together with continuous cost reduction achieved through a greater breakdown of activities. We also started to diversify our portfolio of services, stepping into heavy airframe modification, as well as MRO services in sectors like defence or corporate aviation, whose cycles are not always following commercial aviation. We have already started the strategic alignment and synergies capture with British Airways Engineering, as a consequence of the merger between the parent airlines. This will bring similar benefits as building up a structure equivalent in size to the sixth largest MRO in the industry, excluding OEMs.
26 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
the Middle East situation is cause for much more concern. “Despite oil prices responding noticeably to the unrest spreading from Tunisia into Egypt and then beyond, the world at large seems to be taking the new price realities in its stride,” comments van Manen. “But add any serious supply disruption from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar or the UAE to the equation, and we’ll see $200/barrel approaching faster than hitherto imagined, particularly once strategic stockpiles are run down and winter returns to the northern hemisphere.” In the worst case scenarios, air travel would once again be down heading into 2012, although geographic variances would be noticeable. China, India, Brazil and most of Asia and Latin America would simply see a cooling effect, not a double dip. For airlines, the future would then be even more China/Asia-centric than it is now, and tapping into these growth markets would become essential. For MROs, the effects would again lag the airlines, but the volume shift towards the BRIC, Asian, Middle Eastern and Latin American markets would also continue at an accelerated pace. But there is no reason to expect the worst just yet. In fact, Lufthansa Technik’s Heerdt is predicting that the MRO market will expand both this year and in the short-term, as the rebound effect continues. This expansion will
INDUSTRY FOCUS
be “mainly driven by the emerging markets in the Middle East, Asia and Latin America, while the traditional markets in Europe and North America will grow disproportionately in the coming years”. But, like van Manen, he notes that world events are a cause for concern. “Certainly the situation after the horrible earthquake in Japan and the political situation in North Africa and the Middle East are impacting the development,” he says. “It is not yet predictable at what scale this will happen.” In the long term, air traffic demand will continue to grow globally, with a parallel effect on MRO requirements. “With GDP growth accelerating, transport demand will pick up and airlines will — ultimately — get back on the growth curve. Expect this too to be unevenly split,” says van Manen. “The rebound post 2008 has told us that the underlying shift in growth to the BRIC economies is fundamental. So we should see new aircraft deliveries and RPK stats to show yet more shift towards the ‘East’.” The North American and Western European air transport systems are mature and will thus remain flat or achieve only a small amount of growth. However, Central and Eastern Europe
Valter Fernandes, operations VP, TAP Maintenance and Engineering Brazil It was hard to cope during the global crisis, mainly in the widebody market. Our main goal was to reduce costs, without slashing capacity and certifications. The main challenge right now is the weak dollar – something we don’t have control over and is not helping at all. The short- to medium-term outlook looks promising and our 2011 expected airframe occupancy rate is better than 2010 and 2009. However we are still trying to thrive on the components market. We need to improve our customer baseload. We put some strategies in place to enhance our performance in this specific market.
The Magellan Group provides integrated aftermarket aviation support services to the global airline industry. We sell, lease, and manage aircraft, engines, and spare parts to over 250 customers in 50 countries.
Airframe Support
Engine & Parts Sales & Leasing
Professional Services
Regional Aircraft ATR 42 / 72 Dash 8 100 / 200 / 300 / 400 Embraer 120 CRJ 100 / 200
Regional Engines All PW100 series, including PW150 CF34 A1/B1 AE3007A1
Aircraft & Engine Management
Commercial Aircraft Airbus A300 / A310 / A320 / A340 / A330 Boeing 737 / 747 / 757 / 767
Commercial Engines CF6-50C2 / 80C2 PW4000 CFM56 V2500
Joint Ventures
Consignments & Purchasing of Surplus Inventory Aircraft & Engine Leasing & Trading
Asset Management Technical Advisory Services
Magellan Aircraft Services s #HARLOTTE .ORTH #AROLINA s \ -AGELLAN !VIATION 3ERVICES s 3HANNON )RELAND s
www.magellangroup.net
❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙ 27
INDUSTRY FOCUS
SIAEC says it continues to evaluate all categories of customer and how it can best service them. One area it sees a lot of potential in is the low cost carrier sector. The company’s strategy is to provide “a solution for them in a location where the cost of doing maintenance is lower, like the Philippines”.
Forecasted MRO spend in US$ by region, 2011-2015 and 2015-2019 Supplier region
Total MRO Spend 2011 - 2015
Total MRO Spend 2015 - 2019
Unknown North America Western Europe Eastern Europe Latin America Africa Asia-Pacific
27.5 Billion 7.9 Million 7.4 Million 0.56 Million 0.95 Million 0.28 Million 4.6 Million
309 Billion 6.9 Million 6.5 Million 0.49 Million 0.8 Million 0.19 Million 4.1 Million
China Middle East
2.1 Million 0.89 Million
2.3 Million 0.79 Million
India
0.26 Million
0.26 Million Source: OAG Aviation
Chang Cheow Teck, president, ST Aerospace Over the last downturn period, our revenue has remained relatively stable. Although given the general aviation market, some requirements were deferred as airlines tried to conserve cash due to reduced usage. That said, we believe our business is on the right track and we see a recovery in the airline and freight industry as the economy bottoms out. We remain optimistic about the longer term growth prospects of the aviation market in the Asia Pacific, as well as the dynamic growth of the air cargo market. Going forward, our significant and diverse customer base and geographic presence, capabilities in both defence and commercial business segments, and a broad base of capabilities in airframes, engines and components MRO, as well as engineering development, will enable us to achieve sustainable and profitable growth.
28 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
and the ‘Near East’ continue to have growth potential at high single digit levels, according to VZM Management Services projections. “Air transport growth will be driven from the pulsing economies — China, India, plus Brazil & Latin America, and Asia. Resource rich African economies (e.g. Nigeria, Ghana) will move into the top 20-30 economies — and fuel air travel; a shift no-one could have dreamt of a few years ago,” comments van Manen. He also expects the emerging Middle Eastern hubs such as Dubai to thrive, “contrary to what may be the received wisdom on traffic potential”. He explains: “The geographically strategic positioning is just too good and developing traffic flows from the Indian subcontinent to Europe, North America and Africa can all be captured. And all that with what will probably be a competitive advantage in terms of emissions trading obligations. The impact on MRO will be a race to attract human capital, and build the workforces for the growth envisioned. Resource providers will be Central and Eastern Europe, Russia/CIS, India/Pakistan as well as South East Asia — where airlines and MROs may suffer due to the drain on trained resource. There may also be a flow from the
To meet your needs, we build solutions Sabena technics is a leading independent MRO provider of maintenance services to civil and military operators. Through dedicated activities, we provide customers with tailor-made cost-effective solutions.
Airframe services Component services Integrated services Military services Training services
www.sabenatechnics.com
Your success is our concern
INDUSTRY FOCUS
Strict cost management and continuous improvements are not only tools to weather a crisis, according to Lufthansa Technik, but permanent tasks even in better times.
How will the industry look different in five to ten years? Jack Arehart, VP, commercial sales and marketing, AAR It’s quite possible that in the next five to ten years, the US military will embrace the idea of procuring key support services on commercial terms. With the forecasted defense budget cutbacks, government and defense fleet operators can gain increased efficiencies by adopting more best-practices from commercial aviation. If this occurs, the commercial MRO world will have a much broader available marketplace to serve.
30 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
southern Mediterranean (e.g. Egypt / Libya) undermining the local potential for growth.”
Expanding the MRO service Let’s turn our attention now to the current and emerging issues which will impact MROs across the globe in 2011 and beyond. According to AFI KLM E&M’s Loisel, “the downturn has accelerated long-term trends rather than created new ones”. As mentioned previously, he sees the main challenge facing MROs as being “how the market will cope with the stronger footprint of OEM and OAM on MRO services”. This is an assessment with which Iberia Maintenance’s Quirós concurs, and he is concerned about the long-term effects. “Not only because of the downturn, but definitely accelerated by the difficult economical situation, the most concerning trend for the independents is the strong penetration of the OEMs into the MRO activity, mainly tied to the purchase agreements,” he says. “Although this could be an interesting option in some cases, less competition in the industry and loss of technical knowledge in the airlines might lead to a situation where short term benefits end up being a long term disadvantage.” The increased OEM footprint certainly brings strong new competition to the MRO market, and it is putting the traditional players on their toes. “They are extremely powerful and offer to the client an image of reliability,”
INDUSTRY FOCUS
needs.” The company is developing its business in accordance with these predictions. AAR’s Arehart has also seen strong indications that more ancillary services such as engineering services, reliability analysis, supply chain management and logistics support are being outsourced today. “Providers who can bundle the delivery of these key support services with traditional MRO support services will be well placed for future growth,” he predicts. van Manen sees some problems with the ways in which MROs are doing business. “The pressure to manage costs is unrelenting.
AAR invested in growing its government/defense and manufacturing businesses during the downturn as a hedge against the de-stocking activity occurring in the commercial business sector.
discover the future of MRO
admits Valter Fernandes, operations VP at TAP Maintenance and Engineering Brazil. “To compensate, MROs are offering even smarter solutions regarding their products, meaning the classic MROs’ products are becoming obsolete.” These new MRO services are wide ranging. Lufthansa Technic sees a demand for customisation. Heerdt says: “There is a clear trend in regard to the customisation of the MRO business. The economic situation, business models, aircraft types, new technologies and the operational environment define individual needs and ask for customised solutions. There is no one size fits all. As a MRO supplier one has to take care to create attractive service packages which fit the needs of the customer.” Singapore’s SIA Engineering (SIAEC) believes that the impact of the global recession will continue to make carriers re-consider outsourcing their MRO needs, rather than increasing their in-house capabilities. And as the MRO industry evolves, the company expects to see more airlines wanting not only “a complete airline solution but also, an OEM solution”. A spokesperson commented: “The value of the aircraft is extremely important to all aircraft owners, so they want their aircraft to be serviced at the highest possible standard, and this is only possible if they are able to obtain an OEM solution for most of the maintenance
find out how your airline can benefit from having • base maintenance • line maintenance • interiors • seats • engine services available from one trusted, comprehensive source.
www.timco.aero see us at MRO Americas booth #402
❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙ 31
INDUSTRY FOCUS
SR Technics says it has implemented several programmes to achieve a higher cost-efficiency for its customers, including a focus on lean / six sigma, as well a shop floor continuous improvement programme intended to generate ideas for efficiency improvement activities.
Ludovic Loisel, VP strategy, AFI KLM E&M Our view is that the downturn has accelerated long-term trends rather than created new ones. The main challenge resides in how the market will cope with the stronger footprint of OEM and OAM on MRO services. We also forecast a new wave of consolidation to generate scale effects, an increase in outsourcing by airlines, and a shift in the market balance towards the Middle East and Asia. Finally, our industry should be impacted by the technological changes that next-generation aircraft will bring in the coming years.
32 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
Where is this going to be felt? We think the labour factor may have been milked to the point where little gains are left,” he says. “But inventories are still sky-high, waste is rampant, and MROs and more importantly airlines have been too reluctant to move away from a control-centric model where inventory is held just-in-case instead of just-in-time. We think there will be a lot more effort to push inventory upstream and to share spares.” He continues: “MROs’ ability to manage inbound pricing and their ‘inflation differential’ is dismal, and with new pressure on costs, airlines and MROs will be pitched together in attempts to control spare parts pricing. We don’t think PMA has huge upside potential in market share terms, but in pricing terms its impact is very significant. Even at 10 per cent market penetration, an effective replacement PMA part can succeed in bringing OEM pricing into check. Expect more of this.” SR Technics’ Stewart believes the MRO industry is moving away from a focus on “factory work.” He says: “Market expectation is that factory floor work (the maintenance programme) is fulfilled to a complete and potentially excellent level. SR Technics remains focused on continuously improving the efficiency and quality of our production labour, in order to support an ability to drive cost reduction internally. This cost reduction has barely been able to keep pace with the tremendous
INDUSTRY FOCUS
According to Lufthansa Technik, the MRO market increased in 2010 by approximately 2.5 per cent to $45bn and will grow at an average of 4.2 per cent per year over the next five years.
SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC) Airlines of the future will need more than just checks. Instead, they need partners. Many low-cost carriers will be emerging over the next five to ten years and they will need a good partner that can allow them to reach high level of usage without any problems. More and more airlines will also seek MRO partners that can offer broader solutions on a long-term basis, whereby assigning heavy checks on an individual basis won’t be on the cards. New aircraft technology and systems in combination with extended maintenance intervals on newer aircraft will also be sequentially introduced in the next decade. MROs will need to reassess their capabilities and provide extensive training for their workforces.
34 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
pricing pressure experienced during the downturn; however, even during the downturn airlines remained focused on additional value items in addition to driving previously not seen pricing on basic production work.” Customers are now looking well beyond basic maintenance production. According to Stewart, there are three major new things they want to know — how a MRO is able to: integrate its support and information systems into the airline, thus providing 100 per cent real time visibility into status of parts, repair or cost; provide robust supply chain support which is able to deliver a product with minimal material delay; and provide engineering expertise through a “plug & play” mechanism, which allows even the newest or smallest airlines to benefit from knowledge, reliability and reporting information that is normally only available to airlines with very large fleets and/or many years experience.
MRO recruitment and new technologies Meanwhile, the issue of recruiting and training engineers has been a black cloud on the horizon for many years now. Western European and North American MROs have long suffered from a general failure to attract people into the MRO workforce. Compounding the problem is
Better served by Wencor Group
because we listen to you.
6,373 + PMA parts and counting 1,13 6
EN G I N E PA R TS
1, 2 11
A PU PA R T S
78 0
H Y D R AU L I C PU M P PA R TS
42 1
C S D PA R T S
329
I D G PA R TS
291
PN EU M AT I C PA R TS
13 5
F U EL C O M P O N EN T PA RTS
107
VA LV E PA R TS
79
ACT UATO R PA R TS
71
FA N PA R TS
wenco r.com
INDUSTRY FOCUS
TAP Maintenance and Engineering Brazil says competition has grown as US MROs now have very competitive man-hour rates. Nevertheless, the company expects to increase its revenue for 2011 and reports that occupancy rates are going up significantly.
James Stewart, CEO, SR Technics We expect consolidation in the mature markets, as smaller MROs are squeezed into niche roles between major MROs and OEM entry to the marketplace. Conversely, in the high growth regions we expect to see a trend similar to that seen in Europe/US over the past 10 years: one of substantial growth of providers, followed by over capacity, followed by restructuring, followed by consolidation. The concept of full service delivery is becoming substantially more critical as airlines form a clearer view of their supply chain needs. The ability to differentiate in this market will not solely rely on the ability to provide all maintenance activity, but how well inventory management is seamlessly integrated into the actual running of the airline business.
36 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
the aging of the current workforce, and this presents a significant risk to many established MROs, particularly in Western Europe. Less well known, though, is the demographics ‘time bomb’ ticking in China, according to van Manen. “The impact of the one child policy will kick in within the next two decades,” he says. Commenting on future trends to do with this issue, he states: “We will see more work shift to economies such as India, Vietnam, and in greater Europe: Turkey. Depending on the outcome of the current turmoil in the southern Mediterranean, there too we could see a young, technically oriented workforce emerging from the former defence base that is a force to reckon with.” AFI KLM E&M’s Loisel notes another major consideration for MROs in the next few years — the impact of the technological changes that next-generation aircraft will bring. This could have a knock-on impact on consolidation, according to Lufthansa Technik’s Heerdt. “Despite new entries, we see an ongoing consolidation process in the MRO industry,” he says. “The introduction of new aircraft generations and engines types is combined with high investments in infrastructure, tools and employee training and complex questions about intellectual property. These challenges can only be handled successfully by MRO providers operating globally and at a certain scale, having the ability to tailor packages to individual needs.”
INDUSTRY FOCUS
The outlook appears to be that, in line with airline trends, MROs will have to get big to survive, whether in a single organisation or as part of a MRO grouping. ST Aerospace’s Chang Cheow Teck sums up the challenge neatly: “As airlines consolidate, there is a need for financial strength, geographical scale and range of capabilities to engage more effectively with the big airline groupings who will, given their scale, demand the best and most cost-effective solutions in the market place.” The barriers to entry into the MRO industry are becoming substantially raised as the landscape in the sector changes. The need to invest heavily in technology and infrastructure to gain the necessary size to compete, coupled with the strong entry of the OEMs into the market “make it almost impossible to see a continuance of the industry in its current form”, according to SR Technics’ Stewart. He concludes: “Our expectation is that there will be only a few mega-regional and global MRO providers, with a few substantially smaller niche players remaining on the fringe. In this case a majority of the mid-sized MROs existing today will either be absorbed by larger companies, or fail.” ■
The leading MRO suppliers have strong balance sheets today, with streamlined operations and an appetite for being even more vertically integrated than before. —Jack Arehart, VP, commercial sales and marketing, AAR
Although slow in terms of impact the next generation aircraft, along with the new systems and components that go with them, will cause critical mass required to invest in new capability to go up. In Heerdt’s scenario, only a small group of global level in-house airline shops and independent MROs will be able to keep pace with these developments. Iberia Maintenance & Engineering’s Quirós is another of the increasing number of MRO experts to hold this view. “In our opinion we will see that only the bigger MROs or the very specialised ones will have leverage and critical mass to satisfy customers’ expectations in terms of efficiency, quality and performance,” he says. “Also, and due to the OEMs’ strategy, we foresee stronger co-operation within the MRO activity by airline associated MROs and OEMs, which in the end are also suppliers. This is another way of getting the appropriate size and to retain access to technical know how.” In assessing this situation, van Manen states: “We sense that the OEM game plan is often to accelerate this exit scenario. Airlines will need to muster all their negotiating wherewithal to ensure in-service costs are capped/controlled, as the component OEMs will gain share in these fleets and effectively control the market, as the engine OEMs already effectively do. An area where we feel airlines and their MRO partners should be more alert is in influencing the product support agreements that define the OEM performance standards and metrics.”
❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙ 37
INDUSTRY FOCUS
38 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
INDUSTRY FOCUS
Aviation focus: Florida
With a plethora of MRO and supply chain companies located in the third largest US state by air passenger totals — attracted by the sunny climate, strategic location and state support — Joanne Perry investigates Florida’s standing as an aviation hub.
lear skies, bright sunshine and coastal views; what better place to fly aircraft than Florida? But it is not just airlines which operate in this peninsular of south east America. Supporting flight operations in and through this region are a whole host of aviation companies: MROs, parts suppliers, IT providers and many more. Like other parts of the world, the aviation industry in Florida is structured around the major airports, but in this region the airport network is especially extensive. A ‘Welcome to Florida Aviation’ report published by the Florida Department of Transport (FDOT) in 2010 references 21 commercial, 107 general aviation and 12 main military bases. The thriving nature of Florida’s airports can be measured by their contribution to the state economy. The 2010 airport data for civil aviation is given as follows: $97bn total economic activity (8.5 per cent of gross state product - GSP), 1m employees and a $30.6bn payroll. The FDOT report describes international trade and travel/tourism as the largest drivers of Florida’s economy. Air cargo accounts for one third of the total in dollars (economic impact $6.6bn). Air passenger traffic — growth of which the report describes as being double the national average — had an impact of $59.2bn, from 41.7m commercial airline passengers and 3.7m general aviation passengers (‘Florida: Statewide Aviation Economic Impact Study’, March 2010). Indeed, half of all visitors to Florida arrive by air. The chief airports are: Miami International (MIA); Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International; Orlando International; and Tampa International. In addition to custom from outside the United States, these airports see a steady flow of domestic traffic, giving Florida one of the highest air passenger totals in the country — third in 2008, according to economic development
C
❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙ 39
INDUSTRY FOCUS
Aviation’s economic impact in Florida Distribution of $114.7 Billion in Annual Economic Impact by Category
VISITORS $59.2 billion
1% 1% 5%
International trade and travel/tourism are the largest drivers of Florida’s economy. Air cargo accounts for $6.6bn and air passenger traffic for $59.2bn.
AIRPORTS $28.8 billion
25%
6%
CONSTRUCTION $2.9 billion MILITARY $10.8 billion
9%
AIR CARGO $6.6 billion AVIATION EDUCATION $573 million
2% 51%
AVIATION BUSINESSES $5.3 billion FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) $618 million
Source: Florida Department of Transportation Aviation Office
Florida’s annual economic benefit from aviation Impact category
Total employment
Total payroll
Airports
158,861
$7,752,561,600
$28,793,238,700
Visitors arriving by Air
753,353
$19,315,252,400
$59,178,047,200
Construction at Airports
25,321
$1,041,077,200
$2,858,791,800
Air Cargo
69,256
$3,054,598,800
$6,596,812,200
6,977
$201,195,400
$573,188,000
116,860
$5,855,976,400
$10,797,219,600
35,986
$1,255,264,800
$5,321,292,400
4,545
$318,215,600
$617,783,600
Total Annual Economic Benefits 1,171,159
$38,794,142,200
$114,736,373,600
Aviation Education Military Aviation Aviation Businesses FAA
Total Output
Source: Florida Department of Transportation Aviation Office
body Enterprise Florida. MIA itself is one of the key air transport hubs in America, and the largest gateway between the US and Latin America. Its success can largely be attributed to its strategic location, not only relative to Latin America but the rest of North America as well as Europe, and on a smaller scale the internationally famous local tourist attractions. With so much traffic passing through the region, Florida is a magnet for companies involved in the aviation industry supply chain, due to the potential volume of business that can be gained from the airlines. Companies operating in what Enterprise Florida calls the
40 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
third largest MRO cluster in the United States include: AAR; AA-MRO; TIMCO; PEMCO; and Commercial Jet, which towards the end of last year opened a second hangar in Tampa, doubling its capabilities there. Peter Chapman, VP and CCO of AAR, says his company operates a “close-to-the-customer business model” aimed at enhancing responsiveness to client needs. This led AAR to expand into Florida in 1987 by adding a landing gear maintenance business to its portfolio of heavy maintenance, parts supply and component repair services. Today, three out of AAR’s four operating segments — MRO; aviation supply chain; structures and systems; and government and defence services — have businesses in Florida. With last year’s acquisition of Aviation Worldwide Services and the relocation of airlift and aircraft modification services to Melbourne and Palm Bay, Chapman says that approximately 25 per cent of all AAR employees — around 2,000 — will ultimately be based in Florida. He believes that, “by its very nature, the aviation industry is agnostic when it comes to geographic borders” but nonetheless describes Florida as “an international hub that helps AAR better support global customers”. On the components side, large suppliers and repair shops in Florida include: Kellstrom Industries; Chromalloy; GA Telesis; HEICO; and Volvo Aero Services. Chromalloy, a non–OEM provider of advanced coatings, repairs and replacement parts for gas turbine engines, is currently expanding in the region. In March this year, the company began construction of a $5m, 40,000ft2 ceramic core production facility
INDUSTRY FOCUS
Top: Chromalloy Castings, Tampa. Above: A Chromalloy Castings worker.
42 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
in Tampa. This development, which is scheduled to open in 2012, joins Chromalloy’s newly operational $30m industrial investment foundry at the same site. GA Telesis has also been actively developing its offerings in the region, acquiring Fort Lauderdale-based Ultimate Aircraft Composites in January this year, which has been rebranded as GA Telesis Composite Repair Group. Also providing components services are: Tradewinds Engine Services; Accel Aviation; AeroTurbine; STS Components; AerSale; Sargent Aerospace and Defense; AeroThrust; and Barfield, a Sabena technics company. The largest interiors specialist in the region is BE
Aerospace, which also describes itself as a distributor of fasteners and consumables. Engine MRO specialists in the region include: Complete Turbine Services; FJ Turbine Power; Aviation Engine Service; APECS Engine Center; NewJet Engine Services; Patriot Aviation Services; United Turbine; Wood Group Turbopower; and Turbine Engine Solutions. Involved in the business of leasing engines are: Kellstrom; GA Telesis; AeroTurbine; Volvo Aero; and Tradewinds Engine Services, amongst others. Assisting businesses throughout the aerospace supply chain are IT companies such as TRAX, which provides comprehensive management software. Beyond proximity to airline operations, there are numerous reasons why the aviation industry flourishes in Florida, covering financial, personal and practical considerations. These include even prosaic factors such as the climate; the Floridian climate (and associated lifestyle) being as amenable to aviation employees as it is to flight operators. Chapman says the fact that so many AAR employees were willing to relocate to Florida during the company’s airlift/modification transfer — at a rate “much higher” than the industry norm — demonstrates the attractiveness of the area.
The support of the state Underlying the success of the industry is the active support of the state. Chapman says
INDUSTRY FOCUS
of AAR’s airlift/modification relocation: “The move has been very well received and we’re grateful for all the assistance we’ve received from the various government and development groups in Florida.� He says that the “business friendly environment� was a significant factor in the decision to relocate these services. In a 2010 study, the FDOT acknowledged that “Florida’s economic well-being is intrinsically entwined with its vibrant airport system and its robust aviation industry�, which “both sustains and leads economic growth and development� (‘The Economic Impact of Southwest Florida International’ report, March 2010). The FDOT cites the most significant benefits to the region as being the ability to capitalise on a global marketplace and the sustenance of the state’s “number one� industry — tourism. The concrete data supports this assessment; the state report shows that the aviation industry provides a total employment figure of 1.2m, total payroll of $38.8bn and a total output of $114.7bn, representing 15 per cent of GSP. The benefits to the nation are also clear; ranked as the fourth largest GSP, Florida brings in around $744.1bn per year (‘Welcome to Florida Aviation’, 2010).
State aviation funding ($Millions) Fiscal Year
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Airport improvement programme
85
91
87
86
89
Discretionary Capacity
30
28
31
31
5
Strategic Intermodal System
0
9
24
0
6
Other programmes
7
7
5
8
8
Totals
122
135
147
125
108
Source: Florida Department of Transport, Aviation Office
Compared with many other parts of the world, Florida operates a highly organised and sophisticated programme of development in the aerospace sphere, based on continual research and analysis. This includes the ‘Florida Aviation System Plan’, the ‘Aviation Grant Program’, the ‘Florida Airport Master Plans’ and the ‘Airport Pavement Management System’. Operators are supported by representative bodies such as the Florida Airport
TURNKEY INVENTORY & ASSET SOLUTIONS ...at lower costs Tradewinds Engine Services, LLC is a pioneer in the parts support of New Generation engines, with a proven track record for supplying the world’s leading operators & MROs. Reduce the total cost of your engine ownership with solutions from Tradewinds. s 0ROVIDES VALUE DRIVEN LEASE AND ASSET BUY BACK PROGRAMS s -AINTAINS STRATEGIC /%- -2/ PARTNERSHIPS s -ANAGES EXTENSIVE STOCK LEVELS OF .EW 'ENERATION INVENTORY INCLUDING #&- #& 07 6 s )3/ CERTIlED !3! MEMBER !3! &!! ACCREDITED s 3TRUCTURED TO PURCHASE YOUR SPARE ENGINES QUICKLY AND EFlCIENTLY
Contact our sales team today USA: 954-421-2510 Europe: +353 1 830 7100 4700 Lyons Technology Parkway | Coconut Creek, FL 33073 sales@tesllc.aero | www.tesllc.aero
â?™ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 â?™ 43
INDUSTRY FOCUS
Above: Tradewinds, Coconut Creek
44 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
Council (FAC) and, for general aviation, the Florida Aviation Trades Association (FATA). The primary agency responsible for encouraging growth in Florida’s aerospace industry is Space Florida, created by state legislature in 2006 to collaborate and co-ordinate with other federal, state and local government entities in attracting commercial investment. The work of Space Florida encompasses: education and workforce development initiatives; research and development programmes; expansion, recruitment and retention efforts; infrastructure improvements; facilitation of commercial ventures through financial and business consulting as well as fiscal incentives and start-up
support. Alongside Space Florida, the private, non-profit Florida Aviation and Aerospace Alliance (FAAA) focuses on assisting the industry in the areas of: legislation; workforce development; business-to-business sales and marketing; and networking. Floridian companies of all shapes and sizes, such as AAR and engines and parts supplier Tradewinds Engine Services, speak approvingly of the area’s well-educated talent pool. Carolina Davila at IT solutions company TRAX says education development in space and aeronautics is “excellent” and therefore a good source of personnel for Florida’s 2,000 aviation and aeronautics companies. On the piloting side, the FDOT says the state boasts the largest flight training programme in the world (‘Welcome to Florida Aviation’, 2010); Enterprise Florida claims that in 2008 this accounted for one fifth of the world’s flight training. To attract young workers into the industry, there is a Space and Aeronautics Internship Programme (SAIP) run by the Florida Space Grant Consortium (FSGC), which is administered by the University of Central Florida, the third largest public college or university in the state. Companies provisionally participating in the scheme this year include: Florida Turbine Technologies; Pall Aeropower; and Lockheed Martin. On the independent side, there are organisations such as the Florida Institute of
Solutions To Keep You Flying
SM
Here’s How We Do It… • We start with our companies working together to bring you the very best in aerospace support services. • STS Engineering Solutions gives you immediate access to DERs and an engineering staff capable of handling everything from repairs and modifications to STCs, as well as providing contract engineers to support your existing staff. • STS AeroStaff Services recruits and places the industry’s most highly qualified aircraft maintenance technicians to support your operations on a temporary and direct hire basis. • STS Line Maintenance provides scheduled and on-call maintenance at locations throughout the US. • STS Component Solutions provides efficient customer focused inventory solutions for airframe and engine components with 24/ 7, 365 days a year support.
Straight Forward Solutions With Expedient And Professional Services… That’s How STS Keeps Your Aircraft Operations Running Smoothly And Your Costs To A Minimum.
Solutions To Keep You Flying... Jensen Beach, FL (800) 800-2400 www.stsaviationgroup.com
INDUSTRY FOCUS
work in the area, particularly, notes Accel’s director, powerplant programs Gary DeLuca, in today’s difficult economic climate.
Riding the downturn
Top: AAR Composites, Clearwater. Above: Aircraft fuel pumps
46 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
Technology, which in 2009 opened an aviation training and research centre at Melbourne International Airport. These programmes add to training provided by large aviation companies such as Airbus and Delta. Florida’s well-trained employees can avail of another advantage offered by the regional authorities: Florida is one of only nine states not to levy an income tax on top of tax at the federal level. For their part, corporations pay just 5.5 per cent – several points lower than states such as California. Tradewinds Engine Services and fuel component MRO Accel Aviation agree that attractive financial arrangements are a considerable incentive for staff to
DeLuca says that for Accel itself, the last few years have been an opportunity for the company to expand its customer base by offering cost savings, improvements to on-wing fuel component longevity and a highly responsive service. Accel specialises in repairing and overhauling fuel components such as jet engine fuel controls and fuel pumps as well as select auxiliary power unit (APU) fuel controls and ATA chapter 28 booster pumps. The company is a unit of B&E Group and was established in 1996, arriving in southwest Florida in 1999. It offers both PMA and DER options, both of which enable cost reduction — providing an attractive prospect for operators wrestling with today’s economic situation, according to DeLuca. He also points out that DER provides the opportunity to save money by introducing modifications which increase product lifespan. Accel’s worldwide customers — as broadly spread as Canada, Europe and the Far East — include major commercial carriers, air freight companies, jet engine shops and parts distributors. Asked about future developments, DeLuca says: “Accel is planning to expand with the help of B&E Group and is poised to be a big part of that [Group] expansion by offering our
Power
Power is something that Chromalloy puts back in the hands of our customers. As the world’s leading independent provider of regulatory approved, gas-path coatings, repairs and replacement parts, we are a trusted alternative for our customers and healthy competition for the OEMs. It’s the power of choice—the power to reduce your costs and extend the life of your gas turbine engines—and it’s only from Chromalloy.
Learn more at chromalloy.com/icon
Power = Choice
Coatings / Repairs / Parts
INDUSTRY FOCUS
Top: AAR Aircraft Services, Miami. Above: Airframe interior maintenance.
48 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
business attitude which services the needs of our customers as well as offering the intrinsic benefits of operating a business in Southwest Florida.” DeLuca says that business from Accel’s existing clients is feeding new sources of revenue: “We find our current customers help us to develop relationships with potential customers in the interest of cost savings, customer service and product offering.” AAR, meanwhile, has pursued a policy of diversification, which Chapman says was “a key part” of the company’s growth during the recent downturn. “By diversifying its commercial and defence business, broadening its capabilities
and increasing its emphasis on design and manufacturing, in addition to aftermarket services, AAR has been able to grow and capitalise on opportunities to execute its customer-centric business model,” he states. Davila says that TRAX, too, has fared well over the past few years, with the company “almost unaffected” by the economic crisis – it in fact won some of its largest contracts during this time, including business from Air Canada and Turkish Technic. TRAX has been in operation since 1997, offering fleet, materials, component and resource management tools, as well as electronic data interchange and technical publications. The company has airline and MRO customers around the world and many in Florida, such as Miami Air and DHL Fort Lauderdale. Business seems to be on the up for TRAX; the company recently moved its headquarters to a larger site in Coconut Grove in anticipation of expansion. Mark Kreisel, president and CEO of Tradewinds Engine Services, says that the parts supplier emerged unscathed from the economic downturn because the company deals in new generation engine material: “When airlines cut capacity they sit the old aircraft down and continue to fly new generation, more efficient aircraft.” The company was established in 1996 by Kreisel, himself a South Floridian who appreciates the career and lifestyle benefits of the area. Kreisel says that at the time Tradewinds Engine Services was “one of the few companies in the world selling new generation engine parts” and the first to disassemble a CFM56-7. A few years ago, he says, 60 per cent of Tradewinds Engine Services’ business was local, whereas now 99.9 per cent originates outside the state, or indeed the country.
INDUSTRY FOCUS
Recent changes and future trends In considering the way business has changed in recent times, Chapman perceives an increasing demand for diverse “bundled, high-value services” such as management and IT solutions. “A fundamental shift has taken place that builds on solid relationships developed by years of providing individual services,” he says. “Today, customers are looking for suppliers that can help them solve their business problems, moving from the role of a supplier to that of a partner.” Chapman feels that AAR is operating from a strong position in 2011. Recovery in the commercial market has benefited the company’s composites design and production facility, its heavy maintenance operation and landing gear, wheels and brakes overhaul facility and its defence logistics operation in Florida. At the same time, demand for AAR’s government/defence capabilities, including logistics, “remains strong”. Looking to the future, he predicts: “There is a lot of opportunity for the airlift and modifications businesses to expand as the government continues to reduce its expenses and sharpen its focus on humani-
At PEMCO, reliability, schedule and value are not just words. Our three full-service facilities in Florida, Alabama and Ohio, along with partner operations in SE Asia are poised to tackle your toughest MRO requirements, from regional jets to large commercial and military aircraft. Top operations performance ratings
tarian relief efforts around the world.” With turmoil of several different types currently sweeping across large swathes of the world, one suspects this could indeed be a growth market. Asked about the progress of the relocation, Chapman comments: “The move is proceeding nicely and will be complete mid-April. We started with a small team in Florida to manage the transition and set up the warehousing and logistics centre in advance of relocating the fleet. It was essential that the transition was seamless with minimal disruption to customers.” Chapman concludes: “With an eye on the future and a sharp focus on our customers’ requirements, we anticipate that Florida will remain a vital part of AAR’s growth strategy and global presence.” He is far from being the only one to see the benefits of a long-term association with Florida. With classic, natural advantages such as a strategic location providing an unchanging, robust platform for generous state investment and energetic corporate activity, Florida is set to remain an area of focus for the aviation industry for the foreseeable future. ■
in safety and reliability, quality, span time and cost are a reflection of our commitment to providing customers exceptional service throughout the globe. When your MRO requirements demand the very best, and they always do, you can rely on PEMCO.
With an eye on the future and a sharp focus on our customers’ requirements, we anticipate that Florida will remain a vital part of AAR’s growth strategy and global presence. —Peter Chapman, VP and COO, AAR
w w w. p e m c o a i r. c o m / m r o
Now Available! 11 Position 737 Freighter Conversions to complement our market-leading 737-300/400 and 757/200 Freighters, QuickChanges, and Combis.
❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙ 49
4-5 May
www.apmexpo.com
London, UK
THE PLACE WHERE AIRLINES COME TO DO BUSINESS
Once again the world’s Commercial Aviation industry is preparing to meet at this year’s Airline Purchasing & Maintenance EXPO & Conference in London. Nine years on from its humble beginnings of 23 exhibitors in the foyer of the Renaissance Hotel out at Heathrow Airport, AP&M EXPO is set to bring together over 250 exhibitors & 2,500 attendees at the prestigious Olympia Grand Hall, in West London.
“
“
The place to meet all your customers or potential customers in two days in one place
Showcasing the most well known companies in aviation, AP&M EXPO is the place to be to meet, learn, ask questions, evaluate the market and close your business deals. Attendees will do business with industry leaders from the likes of A J Walter Aviation, Aveos Fleet Performance, Bombardier Customer Services, British Airways Engineering, Delta TechOps, Fokker Services, Goodrich Customer Services, HEICO, Lufthansa Technik, Sabena Technics, Triumph Group, and Zodiac Aerospace and hundreds of other companies. But the show is not built on big names. Its roots are firmly planted in the many hundreds of vitally important, though sometimes lesser known, small & medium businesses that are at the beating heart of the industry. Irrespective of whom you are, AP&M EXPO feels like you’re doing business on your turf. Once you decide what the right type of attendance is for your business’ needs, you won’t feel hard done-by. It doesn’t matter if you are the largest of MROs turning over hundreds of millions of dollars a year, or a small niche supplier with a handful of staff and a narrow product range, everyone gets treated the same, everyone has equal opportunities to take meetings with airline representatives and MRO buyers. No one receives preferential treatment. Bringing you the variety every good business needs, AP&M EXPO adds new exhibitors every year. 2011 is no exception, including Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies, Air Atlanta Aero Engineering, American Airlines MRO, Iberia
“
For Airline maintenance organisations wishing to meet the Top Surplus Inventory Suppliers in one venue, then this is the place
“
AP&M EXPO is Europe’s premier networking event for everyone working in the commercial aviation aftermarket. A ‘must attend’ event in the Aviation trade show calendar.
Maintenance, TES Aviation, L-3 Avionics, Goodrich Wheels & Brakes, and Parker Aerospace. Supported by some of the biggest names in the business, AP&M EXPO is the event that leads the evolution of face to face networking in Europe. The original premise still rings true; AP&M EXPO levels the playing field giving everyone the same opportunity to make that all important first contact with key personnel from amongst the world’s airlines and maintenance companies. The event packs every minute full of precious networking.
A good MRO derives from a good Team Play A respected MRO Center for its quality and reliability; serving with the principle of on-time delivery with international certiďŹ cates, expert sta and advanced technology. BASE MAINTENANCE Up to & including D checks, 6-to 12-year checks, CPCP, SSID, structural checks and modiďŹ cations for A300/A310/A320 family/A330/A340 B737 Classic/B737NG. LINE MAINTENANCE At a wide range of stations worlwide for A300/A310/A320 family/A330/A340 B737 Classic/B737 NG/B757/B767/B777 MD-80/Gulfstream/RJ/BAE146.
CAPABILITIES j '8@EK@E> N@K? =LCC 8@I:I8=K JKI@GG@E> j ÿÞÞ ÞÞÞC9 K?ILJK K<JK :<CC <E>@E< FM<I?8LC G8IK shops for CF6-80. j ', FM<I?8LC K<JK :<CC LK?FI@J<; 8D@CKFE Sundstrand Repair Station for APS2000 and APS3200, plus GTCP 131-9B, GTCP 85 series and + ' Ä Ä Ăż Ä&#x20AC;Ä&#x192;Ăž j #8E;@E> ><8I FM<I?8LC =FI Ä&#x2026;Ä Ä&#x2026; C8JJ@: Ä&#x2026;Ä Ä&#x2026; % Ä ĂžĂž Ä&#x201A; Ä ĂżĂž Ä Ä&#x20AC;Ăž =8D@CP Ä Ä&#x201A;Ăž %# FECP )! j FE<PN<CC 8LK?FI@J<; I<G8@I JK8K@FE =FI $Ä&#x192;Ä&#x201E; Ä&#x2026; $,J
techmarketing@turkishtechnic.com | www.turkishtechnic.com
AP&M EXPO Show Preview
“
Alongside the exhibit hall, two day conference and seminar series there are multiple social networking events hosted by UBM Aviation and its sponsors. The event also holds its famous Meet the Buyers business networking afternoon. More than 1,500 one-on-one meetings will be organised over a mere 3 hours with over 100 airline representatives, providing that all important first meeting for cultivating new business. So what is behind this annual boost in event sponsors and plethora of new companies exhibiting in the sold out hall? Managing Director of AP&M Events, Colin Hall, tells us what he thinks is making 2011 such a successful year. “It’s simple - Here at UBM Aviation we regard AP&M as one big family. Once a company joins our family by booking exhibit space or becoming a sponsor, it’s our responsibility to look after them, make them feel looked after and that their money has been well spent. That’s surprisingly rare in the Aviation/Aerospace events sector where many companies are made to feel that their primary function is to act as a money machine that exists to enrich the organiser. You only have to look ay our retention rates and the fact that there hasn’t been a single year since the EXPO started when it has grown both its exhibitor numbers and its attendance levels – even in the harsh conditions last year where we were hit by the volcanic ash cloud, a major recession and the UK General Election, we still grew.” UBM Aviation will be unveiling a new addition to its event portfolio at the show in May to join the rest of the AP&M family. Details are being kept under wraps at present but according to Colin Hall “this is one of the most exciting developments we’ve seen in the Aviation Event sector for years. My team and I can’t wait to lift the veil of secrecy surrounding it all and start tell people about it at the show.”
VISIT FREE
7 GREAT REASONS TO VISIT AP&M 2011 PROMOTE your company among industry leaders
From AAR to Zodiac Aerospace, AP&M attracts the biggest names in the commercial aviation aftermarket. Maximise your company’s opportunities and profile by attending. Bring your colleagues to ensure you have sufficient resources on hand
NETWORK with peers & engage with your industry
Over 2500 people attend the AP&M EXPO. AP&M EXPO is a great opportunity to netowrk with prominent companies like Lufthansa Technik, Airbus, Delta Tech Ops, and Boeing
SOURCE new suppliers, customers & partners for your business
Over 250 companies from the Airline MRO & aftermarket sector will exhibit in 2011. Alongside the prominent MROs and OEMs we bring you a host of alternative suppliers to ensure you find your perfect match. Book meetings with exhibitors in advance via the Contact Us option on the online company profile pages of the exhibitor list
MEET key suppliers & get immediate answers to your questions
On average exhibiting companies bring 4 representatives to the event which gives you a great opportunity to sit down face to face and get the information you need
STRENGTHEN existing relationships
Have you been on the phone to an associate for months but never met? AP&M EXPO is the ideal place to arrange to meet on their exhibit stand or in one of the five cafes in the Grand Hall
LEARN about the latest developments in Aviation IT
Attend our free seminar programme, Meet the Experts, for a fresh insight into Aviation IT in the Airline MRO & aftermarket sector. Open up this flyer for full details of this year’s programme
EVALUATE your competition, supplier and customer activity - be sleuth and keep your finger on the pulse! Register at www.apmexpo.com
“
“
One of the best shows to attend to meet the customers/ suppliers …you actually meet the people you deal with over the phone.
“
…an Expo to be seriously considered
AP&M 2011 is Sponsored and Supported by Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
Supporters
AP&M EXPO Show Preview
MEET THE EXPERTS Your free seminar programme Led by industry professionals we present informative topical seminars, practical advice and discussion forums The 2011 seminar programme explores Aviation IT in the MRO Airlines & Aftermarket Sector An overview of all the seminars presented in this programme can be read on the AP&M EXPO website. Seating is available on a first come first served basis
New for 2011 - Receive alerts to your mobile phone before your seminars start On so many occassions, with the best of intentions, you plan your attendance at an event around the seminars you wish to attend. Then, deep in conversation with an old friend or potential new business associate you catch a glimpse of your watch only to realise the seminar started 15 minutes ago.
Official Sponsor of Meet the Experts
This year we are doing our best to get you to the theatre on time. Upon registering for the EXPO identify which seminars you are interested in attending. If you add a mobile number to your registration we will send you a text message 10 minutes before your seminar is about to start. If you’ve already registered you can amend your registration to include these details via the Visitor Registration link on the website. Text messages will only be sent to visitors who have arrived at the event that day.
The 2011 Meet the Experts Seminar Schedule Day One Wednesday 4th May
Day Two Thursday 5th May
10:45-11:15 Seminar Theatre One Tracware How to Define, Locate, Select & Implement strategic business software in an Aviation MRO or Part-21 manufacturing environment
10:30-11:00 Seminar Theatre One What’s up with Aviation IT?
11:00-11:30 Seminar Theatre Two AeroXchange Reducing Cost through Collaborative Sourcing
10:45-11:15 Seminar Theatre Two fipart GmbH Need for Quality rating of aviation parts suppliers and buyers
11:25-11:55 Seminar Theatre One ToolClarity Tool and Inventory Accountability - Every Tool, Every time, with RFID
11:10-11:40 Seminar Theatre One Sofema Aviation Services Challenges and benefits in moving from a semi manual (Microsoft) Maintenance, IT system to a fully integrated MRO solution
11:40-12:10 Seminar Theatre Two Developing a Digital MRO Presence
Bombardier Customer Services
11:25-11:55 Seminar Theatre Two TES Aviation Group Management of aircraft engines using bespoke software systems
12:05-12:35 Seminar Theatre One Business Driven IT Services
AAR Corp
11:50-12:20 Seminar Theatre One Collaboration in a Disjointed World
Conduce Consulting
Cambridge Online Systems Ltd
12:20-12:50 Seminar Theatre Two Armac Systems Delivering Management Control Over Inventory Investment
12:05-12:35 Seminar Theatre Two SITA Data, data, and more data: The route from simple EDI to full back-to-birth traceability
12:45-13:45 Seminar Theatre One ILS / Gael Ltd / Approved4Business Improving the Quality of Aviation Parts Information by linking technology Presentation followed by a panel discussion
12:30-13:00 Seminar Theatre One Technology and the Inventory Challenge
Partsbase.com
13:00-13:30 Seminar Theatre Two Hamilton Sundstrand OEM customer care – taking it to the next level
12:05-12:35 Seminar Theatre Two Automated Inventory Management
Supply Point Systems Limited
AP&M EXPO Show Preview
AIRLINE PURCHASING & MAINTENANCE CONFERENCE
“
The Airline Purchasing & Maintenance Conference is not only a great event to meet new and existing clients and customers, but it will also provide you with the latest on essential purchasing and maintenance trends, forecasts and cost reduction strategies.
“
Tony de Martines, Aeronautical Purchasing Supervisor Cargolux Airlines International S.A.
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS Upgrade to a Conference Delegate and benefit from a wealth of additional networking opportunities:
WHAT’S IN STORE FOR 2011?
WELCOME RECEPTION
• Franck Terner, President of Air France Industries and Roland van Dijk, President of Fokker Services will open up the conference with their insights into the aviation market
CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
• Air Moldova, Air New Zealand and Norwegian Air Shuttle will examine how different sized airlines overcome similar challenges related to purchasing and maintenance
Airlines, VIP Exhibitors & Conference Delegates will spend an evening at the Royal Garden Hotel for our annual cocktail party. An unrivalled conference agenda featuring international purchasing experts will offer critical market intelligence and the latest best practice and reveal the newest initiatives to maximise your purchasing power and maintenance support.
MEET THE BUYERS
Speed dating; meet with your pick of technical purchasing, maintenance & engineering buyers from the world’s Airlines.
• Christopher Spafford, Partner for Oliver Wyman will help you understand the role of the consultant in maintenance contract negotiations • Flybe Aviation Services, myTechnic, MTU Maintenance and Sabena Technics will discuss best practices for negotiating maintenance contracts
AIRLINES ATTENDING IN 2011 INCLUDE: Upgrade to Conference Delegate For additional access and networking opportunities upgrade to a delegate place for £1149+VAT
Register Online at www.apmexpo.com
Adria Airways Air Baltic Air Greenland Air New Zealand American Airlines Arik Air Limited Arke Fly Austrian Airlines Avia Express AB Blue Air Blue Oy Bluebird Cargo bmi Braathens British Airways Cargo Air Ltd Cargolux Airlines International Cimber Air Cityjet
Croatia Airlines Dalmatian.hr Danish Air Transport A/S easyJet Eurolot SA Eurowings Luftverkehrs AG Evergreen International Airlines Farnair Switzerland AG Finnair FlyBE Aviation Services Flylal Group Iberia Iran Air UK & Ireland JAT Airways Jet Air Kuwait Airways Corporation Monarch Airlines Norwegian Air Shuttle Oman Air
Onur Air Pegasus Airlines PGA Portugalia Airlines Saudi Arabian Airlines Southern Air Spanair SriLankan Airlines Ltd Strategic Airlines Pty Sun Express Airlines Swiss International Airlines Tailwind Airlines Inc TAP Portugal Thomas Cook TUI Airlines Belgium Ukraine International Airlines Viking Airlines Virgin Atlantic Airlines Voyageur Airways
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
Don’t say 737 replacement
...say new aircraft After months of speculation, Boeing appears to be going with a replacement for the 737 rather than a re-engined version — except the company doesn’t see it as a straight replacement, just a “new aircraft”. Here, Scott Hamilton examines Boeing’s possible strategies for this new programme, including technologies, family and size options, use of materials, and likely assembly sites. or years, the conversation has been about when Boeing is going to replace the venerable 737. The moniker has typically been 737RS, for Replacement Study. In the past 18 months, speculation has also been mounting about whether Boeing might simply re-engine (737RE) the aircraft. Boeing’s final decision on the future of the 737 is expected before or during the Paris Air Show. It’s virtually certain Boeing will continue to enhance the aircraft beyond the current improvements in aerodynamics and engine performance entering service this year. Boeing hopes to wring another 2-3 per cent out of the 737 fuel burn between now and 2016, when the Airbus A320neo is scheduled to enter service. A 737RE seems
F
56 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
increasingly unlikely. But don’t say the new aircraft will be a 737 replacement, according to Mike Bair, vice president of advanced 737 product development for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Bair predicts the current 737NG will be in production well into the 2020 decade, right alongside the new aircraft, which is known internally as the Y1. Aircraft Technology Engineering & Maintenance sat down with Bair to discuss the development programme.
To RE or not to RE, that is the question Bair affirms what has been widely reported in that Boeing knows how to re-engine the 737
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
Mike Bair, Boeing’s vice president of advanced 737 product development, predicts the current 737NG will be in production well into the 2020 decade, right alongside the replacement aircraft.
with the CFM International LEAP-X, the Pratt & Whitney (P&W) PW1000G geared turbofan (GTF) or the Rolls-Royce RB282/285 twostage/three stage engines (also known as Advance2 and Advance3). All are in development. (See boxout on page 60 for details of Bair’s view of these three engines.) “We’ve done a lot of work on that. We understand what the assignment would be if we were to do that,” Bair says. “We’ve been in the wind tunnel a number of times, and this is something that’s doable and we have a good handle on the work statement.” The fuel burn improvement would be in the “low teens,” and “it turns out it’s pretty much the same answer Airbus is getting with their neo,” Bair says, or 10-12 per cent without the sharklets (which reduce fuel burn by another 3.5-4 per cent). “We looked at all three engine manufacturers and the net benefit was pretty close to a tie,” states Bair. It’s also been reported that Boeing needs to increase the length of the nose gear by 6-8 inches (15.4-20.3cm) and that additional airframe/wing changes and systems upgrades will cost an estimated $2-$3bn or $3-$4bn. Bair believes both figures are “high.”
“The investment amount is not really all that material because of the rates that you’re on in these programmes. You pay for investments really, really quickly,” he says. For Boeing, devoting resources to an RE is also an opportunity cost. “Is there a better place to have [the resources] working? Is there another opportunity that’s more attractive to us? That’s kind of where we got with the airlines.” Bair says the net benefit of cash-cost savings for an RE falls to only 1-1.5 per cent despite the low double-digit fuel burn savings of a re-engined aircraft. “On these kinds of airplanes [a re-engine], a 10 per cent fuel burn savings is five per cent cash cost because fuel is half the cash operating cost,” Bair says. “That’s without changing maintenance costs. There will be some change in maintenance costs because the airplanes are heavier. By the time you’re done you add 5,000lbs to the operating empty weight of the aircraft, so right away the costs for wheels and brakes go up. “Then there is the disruption factor because for an airline, that means you have to have different spare parts and different engines,” Bair explains. By the time you add all this and higher ownership costs, you’re down to 2.5-3
FOR SALE: B737-800 SPARE PARTS AND TOOLS EUROCYPRIA AIRLINES LTD (In Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation) The Liquidator of Eurocypria Airlines Limited is offering for sale a Large number of spare parts and tools for B737-800NG, in the following categories: 1. Rotables 2. Consumables 3. Tools Conditions for bidders 1. You may bid for all three categories as a whole (only serious offers please) 2. You may bid for individual items or a group of items 3. You may obtain an inventory of what’s on offer from www.eurocypria.com 4. For further information you may contact: George Hadjimitsis at gkastoris@eurocypria.com, Panicos Leontis at pleontis@eurocypria.com 5. All offers must be sent via email to the following addresses: gkastoris@eurocypria.com, pleontis@eurocypria.com and chris@crigroup.com 6. Closing date for bids is April 20, 2011
58 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
per cent. Finally, if there is a price premium on the aircraft, the all-in net benefit to the aircraft is just one per cent, according to Bair. “It’s kind of like, really, is that all?” he remarks. So, “what we have done is taken this option and put it on the shelf,” Bair says. “We can change our mind and exercise it at any time…if something happens in the industry that makes this more compelling. It’s hard to imagine what that would be. We are now focused on the new airplane.” (Oil prices were hovering around $100bbl at the time of the interview.) A re-engined 737 likely wouldn’t enter service until 2016 and Bair estimates entry-intoservice of a new aircraft would be in the 2019-2020 period, even though Boeing CEO Jim McNerney remarked during the company’s year-end earnings call that EIS could be in the early 2020 decade.
Converging technologies Although Airbus believes technology convergence won’t happen until 2025-2027, Bair believes “there is a fairly compelling bundle of technologies that can be put into that [new Boeing] airplane” in 2019.
Bair says Boeing will have three engines to choose from: CFM’s LEAP-X, P&W’s geared turbofan and the Rolls-Royce Advance2 or Advance3 engines. He believes that second generation GTF and LEAP-X engines due to enter service from 2013-2016 will be even more efficient than those entering service between 2013-2016, making the gamble of a new aircraft worthwhile by 2020 instead of the 2025-27 timeframe which Airbus insists will make a new aircraft feasible. One engine that doesn’t rate high on the list is the open rotor. Airbus is clearly counting on development of this engine to be the catalyst for its new A320-class aircraft around 2027, coupled with airframe technology advances and improvements to the air traffic management system for a total 40 per cent reduction in fuel consumption. The open rotor goal is 25-30 per cent. Sceptics of the open rotor point to weight, size, mounting, maintenance, safety and noise as issues which need to be overcome. Airbus’ John Leahy, COO-customers, responds to these concerns by saying “it won’t be the open rotor as we know it”. As for Bair, the key issue is that as yet there is no resolution about the safety implications.
Pratt & Whitney have “done a really remarkable job at maturing the technology they put in” the PW1000G geared turbofan engine, according to Bair, who notes that the engine is exceptionally quiet.
Visit us at MRO Americas Miami Beach Florida 12 - 14 April, Stand 106
The smart way to access your hangar With its unlimited size, design flexibility and reliable
• No floor tracks required
operation, the Megadoor vertical lifting fabric door
• Maximized hangar operating area
gives you the freedom to design, build and operate
• Minimal opening and closing time
aircraft hangars with the advantage of:
• Translucent curtain for enhanced light • Excellent thermal seal
www.megadoor.com, sales.megadoor@cardo.com
❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙ 59
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
“We’ve been working with open rotors ever since the 7J7 [concept aircraft, on which the engine was placed on a 727 fuselage and flight-tested]. Every year we’ve studied them, their potential entry in service has moved a year or two. The technology continues to move away, and not converge.” Bair notes that while an open rotor can provide “spectacular” improvements in fuel burn on the test stand, the “fundamental thing we cannot figure out is what happens when you lose a blade”. “It’s so big and heavy that you could lose the airplane,” he explains. Boeing won’t design an aircraft that has this risk. The size of the new aircraft has also been a matter of great debate and speculation. “What we are doing is trying to figure out what the world wants in 2030-2035, because that’s
when the airplane will be in its prime,” Bair says. “On the surface it is hard to imagine what worked well in 2000 will work well in 2030. We are carefully looking at what the options are. Clearly, if we end up more toward the larger size (+150 seats), composites become attractive. If we end up more toward the smaller size, then the scaling issues with skin thickness catch up to you.” There will be a family, but Bair says the solution depends on where the family starts, and this will dictate what the span encompasses. Bair notes that when the 737NG was first ordered, the -700 model was popular but that today nearly all deliveries are -800s and -900s. The trip cost for the -800 is nearly the same as the -700 with far more seats, which he characterises as essentially free. “Do we think that
“We’re glad Pratt is back in the game” THE COMPETITION between CFM International and Pratt & Whitney (P&W) has already taken on controversy as the two companies spar over whose engine is better and the reliance of P&W on the geared turbofan. Mike Bair, vice president of advanced 737 product development for Boeing Commercial Airplanes discussed the gear box, its maintenance and reliability and perhaps summed it up best by saying: “We’re glad Pratt is back in the game.” Bair gave the following assessment of the LEAP-X and PW1000G as well as the RollsRoyce Advance2 and Advance3 engines. Is re-engining the 737 feasible? Bair: The engine installation is about 2,000lbs [more] on each side and this is true for our friends in Toulouse in terms of what they have to do. We looked at all three engine manufacturers [Pratt, CFM and RollsRoyce] and the net benefit was pretty close to a tie. We didn’t see anybody that appeared to have a huge advantage in terms of what they could provide performance-wise. Obviously in that case, it means the incumbent would have an advantage. Doesn’t Boeing have an exclusive supplier agreement with CFM? Bair: [The agreement] is exclusive, but if we wanted to do something different, they
60 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
would have to give us a competitive offering, both technically and business-wise, and we’re the judge. If one of these other guys had come up with something that was hugely better than the CFM offering, then we would have had the ability to change horses. The maintenance and reliability of the geared turbofan has been heavily scrutinised, how do you see it? Bair: We like what we see from P&W. They have done a really remarkable job at maturing the technology they put in. We’re not sure, at least with this first iteration, it was a step-function change. It could be that with a “Generation 2” it could really give you some huge benefits. There’s no question that there’s going to be maintenance advantages in the turbine because of fewer blades and fewer disks, but the gearbox will add maintenance so there’s going to be a trade-off there. It wasn’t obvious to us that it is a huge step forward but we do like what we see and we’re very happy that Pratt is back in the game. How does Boeing compare the geared turbofan to the LEAP-X? Bair: What we looked at was total economic performance, leaving purchase price out. We didn’t see anything that would have caused us to move away from CFM. They are pretty close, at least at this point in the assessment. Time will tell. At least in our assessment, we didn’t see a huge advantage to anybody. There is one
caveat, however. The geared turbofan will be quieter. Does Boeing have any particular concerns about the geared turbofan reliability? Bair: Not really. Everybody has been nervous about the gearbox, but P&W knew that this was going to be the biggest issue. If you know there is going to be a problem, make sure it doesn’t happen and they have done everything one could imagine to prove the robustness of that gearbox. It feels very, very unlikely that’s going to come back to bite anybody. How about the Rolls-Royce engines? Bair: They provide us with an attractive looking engine. Again, it was kind of a threeway tie. Rolls-Royce doesn’t really have an engine now. The RB282/285 two-stage, three-stage are concepts, what do you make of this? Bair: They actually do make engines that are close to this thrust class. They have a pretty big business jet market and there is no reason why they couldn’t take the Trent technologies that they make for the 787 and mature those and drive those into an engine in the thrust class that we need. We know we’re going to have three engines to choose from. We’ll get an offering from CFM, P&W, and Rolls. It’s going to be interesting to see where they will be for an engine that’s three or four years later than the one we looked at [today] and whether any of them will be a standout or whether we will have a nose-tonose horse race.
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
If we end up more toward the larger size (+150 seats), composites become attractive. If we end up more toward the smaller size, then the scaling issues with skin thickness catch up to you. —Mike Bair, vice president of advanced 737 product development, Boeing
trend is going to continue?” Bair asks, answering that Boeing is “trying to get its arms around” this issue. Another burning issue is whether Boeing might abandon the below-150 seat market. “We don’t know,” admits Bair. “It feels like ‘abandon’ is a fairly strong word, but we’re diligently going through our assessments. We haven’t come to our conclusions yet.” There has been speculation that Boeing will proceed with two aircraft: one for the 150-210 seat market and one for the smaller, 100-149 seat market. Doing both would check the emerging competition from Canada, Russia, China and the now-anticipated move by Embraer to proceed with a 125-149 seat new aircraft if Boeing does not. But Bair says there will be only one aircraft with one cross-section. The prospect of building a single fuselage cross section of varying lengths with a re-wing to cover the broad market segments is tantamount to building two aircraft, a prospect on which Bair comments: “I don’t think we have the appetite to do two.” It is not a given that the larger aircraft will be constructed using composites, Bair
states. Although it’s highly likely there will be composites used; “it could have been an easier thing if the aluminium guys hadn’t done anything in the last 10 years, but they’ve been busy. There are some alternatives available now that weren’t available before.” Aluminium lithium (Al-Li), which was chosen by Bombardier for its CSeries, is now easier to work with than it was in the early 1990s. Bair reveals that Boeing tried to work with it for the 777 but “basically gave up”. But today’s Al-Li is better, workable and while somewhat more difficult to work with than standard aluminium, “it’s a learning curve” and “there are no showstoppers”. But Al-Li still has some fatigue and corrosion issues not present with composites. Further, there is less industrial waste with composites than with Al-Li and the ability to make large monolithic parts is much greater with composites. “We’ve learnt a lot from the 787 and one of the things we are going to try to do is leverage that with the new aircraft,” he says. The baseline for this aircraft is all composite, but there is no pre-disposition to use it for the next aircraft.
The MRO Yearbook is the annual publication for MRO professionals worldwide! The next edition (2012) will be published in September 2011 and will be at the MRO Europe Show 2011 and at UBM Aviation Events throughout 2011 and 2012. If you want to promote in the 2012 edition of The MRO Yearbook, or if you would like any other information please contact the Sales Team: Simon Barker, Alan Samuel or Anthony Smith on Tel: +44 (0) 207 579 4845 / 46 / 75 or via Email: simon.barker@ubmaviation.com or alan.samuel@ubmaviation.com or anthony.smith@ubmaviation.com Deadlines: Ad Booking: August 8th 2011 Advertorial and Ad Copy: August 15th 2011 Publishing: September 5th 2011
62 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
What will Boeing do? Boeing faces new competition from China’s COMAC and Russia’s Irkut, each having new engines for their C919 and MS-21 airplanes in the 150-210 seat class. This new competition is one of the pressure points for Boeing to act, according to conventional wisdom. Bair, however, is sceptical. “We would be surprised if either of those will be as good as the 737,” Bair proclaims. “It’s just where they are. And that’s one of the reasons that doing an all-new airplane is attractive to us. It puts us ahead of everybody else.” Even though the 737RE “is on the shelf,” this doesn’t necessarily mean it is dead. Airbus’ Leahy believes that a few orders from Boeing customers for the neo will spur Boeing to proceed with the re-engine, while one aerospace consultant thinks geopolitical and economic events will force Boeing’s hand. If oil prices hit $150 or $200 bbl due to turmoil in the Middle East — and this consultant believes this will happen — Boeing will have to proceed with a re-engined 737
with a 2015-16 EIS because airlines won’t be able to wait another five years for a new aircraft. Production rates on the 737 are already committed to 38 a month by 2013 and the company is considering upping this to 42 by mid-2014. Officials are also discussing the possibility of 50 per month. This commits the Renton (WA) facility to huge rates, and Bair believes the 737 could sell well into the 2020 decade, right alongside the new aircraft. This begs the question, where will the new aircraft be built? “I have no idea,” says Bair. But he acknowledges that Washington State — its ego still bruised over the selection of South Carolina for the second 787 line — will have to compete for the new aircraft assembly site. “Everyone will,” Bair states. Bair and other Boeing executives, and a host of Wall Street aerospace analysts, seem to concur that the company is heading toward a new aircraft. But then, consensus — including the same Boeing executives and analysts — seemed convinced EADS would win the US Air Force tanker contract. Stay tuned. ■
innovative Engineered Fabric structures for the AVIATION industry
Boeing’s Everett, Washington facility – which will have to compete to be the new aircraft assembly site.
With increasing flight activity around the world, airlines need flexible facilities for maintenance hangars, air cargo facilities, storage and terminals. They need to keep aircraft maintained and move people and cargo efficiently. Rubb can get your operation under cover in a cost and time efficient manner anywhere in the world.
...RUBB has the ideal solution • Cost Effective Clear Spans • Low Life Cycle Costs • Superior Corrosion Protection • Bright Efficient Space • Fire Safety Advantages • Complete Relocatability • Easily Extended
• High Quality Membrane Fabrics • Simple Foundations • Excellent Customer Service
USA - CERTIFICATE No. US97/0897
www.rubb.com AN INTERNATIONAL COMPANY
RUBB INC. 1 RUBB LANE, SANFORD AIRPORT, SANFORD, MAINE 04073, USA. TEL: 1-207-324-2877 FAX: 1-207-324-2347 TOLL FREE 1-800-289-7822 E-mail - usa: info@rubbusa.com uk: info@rubb.co.uk norway: rubbno@online.no
❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙ 63
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
Testified: the importance of rigorous engine assessment Engine testing, whether during manufacturing or maintenance, must cut no corners in order to prevent potentially disastrous mid-flight failures. Joanne Perry talks to engine manufacturers, MROs and test equipment providers to find out the latest trends. n aircraft engine exploding mid-flight is a nightmare scenario perhaps second only to a terrorist atrocity. No one would ever dispute the importance of an aircraft’s engines to safe flight, but it takes a near-catastrophe to really bring the message home. In March, 2011, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) declared that operators could cease the engine part inspections which were mandated after the uncontained failure of a Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine on a Qantas Airways A380 flight in November 2010. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) had found that the explosion was
A
64 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
caused by fatigue cracking in a feed pipe, which led to an oil leak. The ATSB concluded that the pipe had been thinned by misaligned counterboring. Rolls-Royce and Qantas released financial results in February this year showing costs of £56m and £34m respectively. Qantas expects the damage to its business ultimately to total around £50m and may initiate legal action against Rolls-Royce if a settlement is not reached. The November incident, which involved no loss of life, illustrates the business impact of engine failure: disruption costs for operators; investigation, withdrawal-from-service and
THE WAY WE SEE IT, A
NEXT GENERATION ENGINE DESERVES NEXT GENERATION SERVICE.
INTRODUCING
PURESOLUTION
SM
services.
PurePower® Engines deliver double-digit improvements in fuel burn, environmental emissions, noise and operating costs. For 85 years, we’ve built and serviced dependable engines. With PureSolution Services, dependable engines just got even better. PurePowerEngines.com. SM
It’s in our power.™
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
GE’s newest flying testbed, with an older testbed in the background.
Engine testing is not limited to safety concerns; manufacturers and operators must adhere to increasingly stringent rules on environmental and noise pollution.
66 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
replacement costs plus compensation claims for the manufacturer; and potential loss of future business to rivals for both operator and manufacturer due to damaged reputations . In light of the knock-on effects of engine problems, it is vital that engine testing is thorough during both the manufacturing process and subsequent maintenance. Nor is engine testing limited to safety concerns; manufacturers and operators must adhere to increasingly stringent rules on environmental and noise pollution. These considerations factor into three types of engine testing: OEM engine development and production testing; MRO return-toservice testing; and dedicated component testing. In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issues Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR), which are mirrored in Europe by the edicts of the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) and, since 2002, EASA. An agreement between the European Union and the US announced on March 15, 2011, will see further regulatory harmonisation from May 1 this year. The main FARs relating to engine health are: FAR 33.65 Surge and Stall Characteristics; FAR 33.68 Induction System Icing; FAR 33.77 Bird Ingestion and Water Ingestion; FAR 33.83 Engine Vibration; FAR 33.87 Engine Endurance Test; and FAR 33.88 Over Temperature Test. The surge and stall characteristics of an engine are tested by subjecting the engines to high
crosswinds. To assess stalling risk in snow or ice, engines are sprayed with water at subzero temperatures. For FAR 33.77, engines must demonstrate the ability to survive a bird strike or a four per cent intake of water in the airflow. The performance of engine parts under vibration is measured over the full operational range, including 105 per cent of OEM-specified maximum speed. The engine endurance test involves 150 hours of assessment, including 45 hours at continuous thrust and 18.75 hours at rated take-off thrust. During the over temperature test, exhaust gas temperature (EGT) limits are exceeded by 75F (24°C) for a minimum of five minutes. Engines are tested on indoor and outdoor stands as well as when integrated into flying test beds. For development engines, OEMs conduct between four and six months of ground testing on stands before testbed testing. Ground testing involves operation of the engines to full power and the running of water/hail, bird ingestion, endurance, emissions and blade out testing, the last of which ensures that an engine can survive the loss of a blade. Flying testbed testing consists of running the engine while it is attached to an airframe which has been modified to accommodate experimental engines. GE Aviation announced in March this year the acquisition of a new flying testbed to replace its existing facility. The $60m invest-
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
ment at Victorville, California, will help GE to test the next generation of engines, initially focusing on the LEAP-X. This will complement ground testing at GE’s Peebles facility in Ohio. Deborah Case, media relations manager, says: “The newer aircraft will expand the flight performance envelope, offering increased range and payload, avionics that will allow the aircraft to talk with the newer engines and a longer flight test (15 hours versus the current eight to nine hours). So many advantages will be had with the newer aircraft.” Additional testing is conducted by aircraft manufacturers during an aircraft’s progress towards first flight. For example, at the beginning of March Boeing announced the completion of the first engine runs for the 747-8 Intercontinental. During these tests, which lasted nearly three hours, the engines were run at various power settings while basic systems checks were conducted, along with vibration monitoring. The shutdown logic was assessed during power down at the end of the test, followed by inspection and a technical review prior to an eventual restart of the engines.
tinual focus on improving turnaround times (TATs) has enabled SR Technics to reduce average heavy shop visits by 20 days to 55 days for CFM engines, and by 28 days to 66 days for Pratt & Whitney engines. To this end, the company has introduced T-005 core balancing, which means that N2 vibrations on CFM56-7B engines can be balanced without removal of the core. Companies such as Schenck and New Yorkbased MTI Instruments specialise in trim balancing and vibration analysis. They provide equipment which can distinguish between
GE’s wind tunnel in Peebles, Ohio.
Beyond the OEMs The OEMs set requirements for MRO engine testing, issuing engine test manuals. This form of testing is the most common, as it supports the continued operation of the worldwide fleet. During deep maintenance activities, engines are removed from the aircraft and run in special facilities. Power and fuel efficiency are checked, along with auxiliary systems supporting anti-icing capability and cabin air-conditioning. Safety assessment also takes place to validate system redundancy, including safe modes. Test facility design thus needs to allow the control and monitoring of a wide range of parameters such as power, temperature, pressure, vibration, speed, fuel flow and air flow — whilst enabling air supply and exhaust removal. Business manager Nick Smith from test facility provider IAC Global Aviation, which has been in business for more than 60 years, explains that a further challenge is the management of the immense noise of an engine under testing, which he describes as the “Achilles heel” of the process. Smith agrees with SR Technics’ head of engine testing Andreas Jost that there is also pressure to reduce test times, with schedules being set by the OEMs. IAC promotes operational efficiencies by using multiple engine cradles to allow the dressing of engines prior to loading onto test stands. Smith says that computerised control and instrumentation also help by allowing faster data acquisition and analysis. Many MROs also offer quick engine change (QEC) capability. Jost says that a con-
❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙ 67
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
A Cenco test cell. vibration problems and balance problems; before embarking on a maintenance solution it is important to discern whether or not the former is caused by the latter. Joining IAC in providing OEMs and MROs with engine testing equipment, facilities and associated services are Cenco International, MDS Aero Support, AneCom and Texas-based Atec amongst others. Cenco was founded in 1958 as Central Engineering Company. The company was then purchased by Techspace Aero in 2003 to create the Safran Group’s Center of Excellence for Aero Engine Test Cells, Cenco International. Cenco’s products and services cover all types of propulsion, from turboshaft engines and auxiliary power units (APUs) through the largest civil turbofans to military turbojets. The company has a customer list of more than 150 airlines, MROs, engine manufacturers and governmental organisations. Facilities provided by Cenco include commercial fan and turboshaft test cells and military hush houses (noise-suppressing facilities). Test equipment encompasses thrust stands, engine adapters which connect engines to testbeds, engine variants and data acquisition and control systems (DACS/DAS, the digital part of the test cell interface). Last year, the company won two contracts from Rolls-Royce, one for a production test cell for the Trent Engine family and a second for a
68 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
multi-engine test facility for military turbojets in the Middle East. These projects follow the award in 2008 of a component testing facility in Germany, again for Rolls-Royce. Cenco devotes a significant portion of its business to OEMs but also caters for MROs. Marketing director Sébastien David says that last year Cenco won contracts worth over $100m, despite the difficult economic circumstances which have seen MROs delaying investments in new equipment. The past two years have been “a transitional period” during which the MRO business has stalled but the OEMs have made significant investments in new programmes. David is positive about the current situation: “Ultimately, Cenco achieved a very good contract booking in 2010 and we are very confident for 2011.” SR Technics also noticed a decline in demand for engine testing: “The market dropped with a certain delay after the recession and is now recovering little by little,” says Jost. Smith says that the contract postponement effect was particularly sharp in the business jet sector, but that “with the upturn [operators] are now pushing for accelerated construction and delivery to realise the benefits of their investment.” IAC designs and builds multi-engine test cells, providing turnkey packages for turbofans, turbojets, turboshafts and turboprops as needed: hush houses; ground run-up pens;
OVERHAUL YOUR E XPECTATIONS FOR ENGINE PERFORMANCE. Our customers expect longer time-on-wing, quick turn times, and a total commitment to finding customized, affordable business solutions. And, that’s exactly what they get from Kelly Aviation Center. Customers recognize our expertise and the responsiveness of our international field service teams. To find out more about Kelly Aviation Center, drop by our website. Or, better yet, give us a call and ask about our EGT guarantee.
EGT GUARANTEED. +1.210.827.5275 www.kellyaviationcenter.com
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
An AneCom compressor testbed.
[During the recession] OEMs decided to do some projects internally, to employ their own people, and we suffered from that as a supplier. —Edmund Ahlers, managing director, AneCom AeroTest
70 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
mobile test cells; APU test facilities; and DACS. Smith describes his company presently as “busy and successful” and “the best kept secret” of clients who prefer not to publicise ongoing developments. AneCom AeroTest, a “one-stop-shop” provider of services to the gas turbine industry, is similarly wary of revealing too much about current projects, but managing director Edmund Ahlers says he is looking to developing markets such as India and China to supplement recent contracts from more traditional sources. “In India we have a business relationship already and we signed a project in December last year to continue that. We are looking forward to more projects to come. The main customer base so far is in Europe but there are other areas we are looking into.” AneCom benefits from having a client base which spreads across a number of industries. Says Ahlers: “We had a recession in 2009 in the aerospace industry but fortunately in the powerplant and industrial gas turbine world there was a lot more work, so that helped us to survive.” AneCom focuses on engine component development through aerodynamic testing and found that during the recession many aerospace OEMs concentrated on protecting their own employment figures by maximising use of in-house resources: “They had decided for some of the projects that we were envisaging to do the work internally, to employ their own
people, because there was less need for them in other areas, and we suffered from that as a supplier.” AneCom provides turnkey solutions, covering everything from consultancy through design and project management to analysis and testing. The company is a relatively young player in the market, founded in Germany in 2002 as a spin-off from Rolls-Royce, which is an original shareholder along with MDS (24.9 per cent and 38.6 per cent respectively). AneCom uses test facilities previously owned by the manufacturer, especially those for compressors. Established in 1985, MDS provides test facilities for all types and sizes of aero engines, whether turbofans, military thrust engines, turbojets, turboprops or APUs. In 2002, the company upgraded the overhaul facilities of SR Technics, replacing DACS and engine control systems. Many of the test procedures are now automated, operating according to programmable parameters. Ahlers is keen to emphasise AneCom’s independence: “They are only in there to make sure that this company doesn’t come under the control of any of their competitors, so they are not involved in the daily business. They have given us this in writing and we can deal with any other customer including their competition.” The concept from day one was that the shareholders’ customer networks could be used to promote AneCom’s services to supplement
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
their own services. Asked about the outlook for the future, Ahlers was notably enthusiastic: “Business is picking up quite a lot in 2010 and we are very positively looking into the future now; we have some very good developments as a company.”
Key trends When envisioning the future, companies involved in the engine testing business need to bear in mind two key trends in the aviation industry: firstly, increasing engine power and complexity; and secondly, greater regulatory, corporate and public pressure for reduced environmental pollution – both emissions and noise. Of the first issue, David says: “Globally the trend in turbofan engine design is for higher bypass ratio engines. Not only are those engines far more complex and digitised than their predecessors, but their aerodynamic characteristics are far beyond [what went before]. The direct consequence is that test cells we supplied 20 years ago (up to 10 or 12m in section) cannot accommodate such powerful engines.” He says that 14m test cells are becoming more common, as they can handle engines such as the GE90, the Trent 900, the GP7200 — and will be likely to cope with their future variants. On the topic of digital technology, Case says that few revelations have occurred since full authority digital electronic controls (FADEC) were first used in GE engines in the late 1980s. However, she notes that Boeing’s forthcoming 787 Dreamliner features electrical systems on the airframe which were previously pneumatic or air-powered from the engines. This has resulted in GE installing discharge mechanisms for these systems during GEnx testing. These adaptations have been made to GE’s test cells in Peebles as well as its current flying testbed in Victorville. Interestingly, Smith says that a notable increase in the power demands on modern
A 14m Cenco test cell for Rolls-Royce in progress in Seletar, Singapore. engines originates from on-board systems, especially those delivering in-flight entertainment. Mostly it seems to be the test procedures themselves which have become loaded with complex information technology. Says Smith: “The test facilities for engine development [now] demand far more instrumentation to analyse characteristics throughout the engine and supporting systems.” As an example he points out that IAC has supplied cells with over 5000 channels. David agrees: “Data acquisition and instrumentation is a very dynamic business, where many manufacturers regularly propose interesting new technologies.”
)UHH XS WLPH DQG PRQH\ ZLWK RXU FHUWLÀHG UHSDLUV Co-Operative Industries delivers the reliable, cost effective harness repair services you need in today’s challenging market. Specializing in GE90, CF6-80C, CFM56-5A/-5B/-5C, CFM56-7B, PW4000 QEC and others, we can help you escape costly delays and rework. 817.740.4700
solutions@coopind.com
www.coopind.aero
Visit us at Booth 1913, MRO Americas
FAA No. OI0R891N, EASA.145.5897, CAAC No. F00100406
❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙ 71
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
AneCom’s anechoic chamber for noise testing. According to Smith, control and monitoring systems have historically consisted of bespoke hardware, single source software and various specialist conditioning units. This meant that customers were obliged to pay hefty bills for modifications and upgrades. IAC has responded to this situation by developing an off-the-shelf control and DACS offering. Jost sees benefits to digital technology on the MRO side: “Digital technology has the advantage that almost all required test parameters are measured by the electronic control of the engine; only a few additional probes need to be installed.” However, he warns that the electrical trouble-shooting burden can increase. For AneCom, the IT sophistication of modern engine testing lies in the computer aided design (CAD) of engine components, modelling and analysis. Ahlers believes this has generated mixed results: “The complexity of engines requires less need for testing on the one hand because the modelling is getting better and the need for validation has gone down, but on the other hand the less need the OEM has for testing the more attractive it is to outsource, so for us it does mean a better perspective in the future because the tendency for outsourcing will increase.” The informational aspect of engine testing today crosses over into another key issue of our times: concern over environmental impact. Ahlers sees business potential in this trend: “Green technology for future engines requires some key developments which will need testing. Also, in engine noise investigations there is still a big need for validation tests where just models don’t help.” The engine testing business has some catching up to do when it comes to innovations
72 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
lessening environmental impact, in comparison with the constant stream of new engines from OEMs which claim ever lower fuel burn. David comments: “Unfortunately, there is not much that can be done to reduce emissions due to an engine run, but the shorter the engine test, the fewer the emissions. This is the kind of green that our customers appreciate, because optimising the engine testing procedures means saving fuel as well as the environment.” However, Cenco is exploring options such as recovering energy expended during testing, which is currently untapped. The company has also developed the first test cell in the world to receive Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) recognition from the US Green Building Council, for Shanghai Pratt & Whitney in 2009. Yet much work remains to be done; this project focuses on the environmental footprint of the building itself rather than the activities within. David describes it as “only a first step”. As regards the noise pollution of increasingly powerful engines, Ahlers is optimistic that innovations designed to reduce noise will involve new architectures that require significant testing, because early modelling and analysis is difficult. Thus, long-term plans by national and transnational authorities for noise reduction over the coming years should favour AneCom’s services. David agrees that the drive for a lesser noise impact is one of two strong trends he detects in the business today, alongside perpetual demand for greater accuracy from OEMs and operators. Indeed, Smith describes increasingly stringent noise emission regulations as “the key influence” on IAC. ■
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
Airframe heavy maintenance directory — Americas Company
Contact details
Aircraft
Checks
Facilities
Specialist capabilities
AAR Aircraft Services Hot Springs
Chris Jessup VP sales and marketing, MRO division 1100 N Wood Dale Rd. Wood Dale, IL 60191 Tel: 630-227-2352 Fax: 630-227-2349 E-mail: Chris.Jessup@aarcorp.com
CRJ100/200/700 Dash 6 E120 series BE1900 series
All MPD/MSG2/MSG3 All MPD/MSG2/MSG3 All MPD/MSG2/MSG3
2 hangars 55,726 sq ft
Welding, NDT, complete backshop, machine shop, Airframe comp. repair, Composites, int. refurbs, Engineering services, Aircraft mods, Interior refurbs.
AAR Aircraft Services Indianapolis
Chris Jessup VP sales and marketing, MRO division 1100 N Wood Dale Rd. Wood Dale, IL 60191 Tel: 630-227-2352 Fax: 630-227-2349 E-mail: Chris.Jessup@aarcorp.com
757/767 737 classic and NG Airbus 319/320/321 727 MD-80 DC9-10/50
All All All All All All
10 bays 1.2million sq ft
Welding, NDT, complete backshop, machine shop, Airframe comp. repair, Composites, int. refurbs, Engineering services, Aircraft mods, Exterior/interior refurbs. Paint
AAR Aircraft Services Miami
Chris Jessup VP sales and marketing, MRO division 1100 N Wood Dale Rd. Wood Dale, IL 60191 Tel: 630-227-2352 Fax: 630-227-2349 E-mail: Chris.Jessup@aarcorp.com
717 727 737 classic and NG 747 757 767 MD-90 MD-80 series DC-8 DC-9 A300 A320 family
All MPD/MSG2/MSG3 All MPD/MSG2/MSG3 All MPD/MSG2/MSG3 A and B checks only All MPD/MSG2/MSG3 All MPD/MSG2/MSG3 All MPD/MSG2/MSG3 All MPD/MSG2/MSG3 All MPD/MSG2/MSG4 All MPD/MSG2/MSG5 All MPD/MSG2/MSG6 All MPD/MSG2/MSG7
3 hangars - 9 A/C slots 226,000 sq ft
Welding, NDT, complete backshop, machine shop, Airframe comp. repair, Composites, int. refurbs, Engineering services, Aircraft mods, Exterior/interior refurbs. Paint
AAR Aircraft Services Oklahoma
Chris Jessup VP sales and marketing, MRO division 1100 N Wood Dale Rd. Wood Dale, IL 60191 Tel: 630-227-2352 Fax: 630-227-2349 E-mail: Chris.Jessup@aarcorp.com
737NG 707-300 727 series 737-200/-300/-400/-500 CRJ200/700/900 DC-9 series Dornier 328P/J MD-90 MD-80 series SF340 A/B/B+
All All All All All All All All All All
7 hangars 300,000 sq ft
FBO services Dowty/Hartzell/McCauley prop repair capability, Brakes, airframe comp. rep. Composites, welding/NDT, Exterior/interior refurbs. Avionics Aircraft mods
Aeroframe Services Headquarters: Lake Charles, LA Chennault Airpark (KCWF)
Bruce Campbell Director of sales and marketing 1945 Merganser Street Lake Charles, LA 70615 Tel: 337 312 2672 Fax: 337 312 2699 E-mail: bcampbell@aeroframe.com www.aeroframe.com www.airepairs.com
A300 A310 A318/A319/A320/A321 A330 A340 DC-10/KC-10 MD-10/MD-11 Airepairs also includes: 717, 727, 737, 747, 757, 767, 777, DC-9, Lear 35/36, CRJ-100, CRJ-200
A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D
5 hangars for aircraft up to A340/B747 2 bays fully equipped for strip/paint 12 w/b bays for up to 16 n/b a/c
AA-MRO (American Airlines)
Cindy Herrin Manager, MRO support 3900 N Mingo Rd MD 535 Tulsa OK 74116 USA Tel: 918-292-1589 Cell: 918-810-7490 Fax: 918-292-3900 E-mail: cindy.herrin@aa.com www.AA-MRO.com
A300 737 757 767 777 MD-80
A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D
8 w/b, 13 n/b Tulsa 6 w/b Alliance Fort Worth
Engine repairs and overhauls Field and line maintenance Aircraft mods. Landing gear Avionics APUs Wheels and brakes Component reps and o/hauls Floor boards Composites Calibration lab Leasing - engines, landing gear, APUs
Airborne Maintenance & Engineering Services (AMES)
Brad Heath Director of business development 145 Hunter Dr Wilmington OH 45177 Tel: 937-366-2167 E-mail: brad.heath@airbornemx.com www.airbornemx.com
727 737 757 767 MD-80 DC-9
A A A A A A
Wilmington, OH facilities: 210,000 sq ft, 3 hangars 100,000 sq ft component repairs & overhauls
FAA/EASA 145 repair station Heavy maintenance: Pickle fork and fail-safe strap replacement; interior refurbishment; SIP mods; flat panel display mods Line Maintenance: Worldwide 24/7 AOG support Component reps and overhauls: AS9100: 2004 certified; ISO9001: 2008 certified; 13,000+ line items; nacelles; wheels/brakes; composites; electronics
Aeroframe Airepairs Subsidiary: Memphis, TN
74 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
-
MPD/MSG2/MSG3 MPD/MSG2/MSG3 MPD/MSG2/MSG3 MPD/MSG2/MSG3 MPD/MSG2/MSG3 MPD/MSG2/MSG3
MPD/MSG2/MSG3 MPD/MSG2/MSG3 MPD/MSG2/MSG3 MPD/MSG2/MSG3 MPD/MSG2/MSG3 MPD/MSG2/MSG3 MPD/MSG2/MSG3 MPD/MSG2/MSG3 MPD/MSG2/MSG3 MPD/MSG2/MSG3
C C C C C C
Letter checks, heavy maint. repairs, overhauls, preservation/storage, A/C parking, teardown, mods/completions, Total area: 650,000 sq ft electrical, hydraulics, CPCP, Ramp: 100 acres SSI, STCs, 120,000 sq ft of shop, and support SBs, ADs, EOs, EAs, ageing, 30,000 sq ft of climate-controlled engineering, warehouse facilities L/G replace, structural repairs, 10,700ft runway IFE, avionics, strip/paint, sheet metal, field supp., backshops, firebottles, composites, machining, manufacturing, welding, NDT, borescope, calibration, batteries, FAA/EASA 145, ISO9100
Erlanger, KY, and Miami, FL: Line maintenance stations
As the world’s third largest airline MRO, we proudly serve more than 150 aviation and airline customers at multiple locations around the globe. Our expansive shops employ LEAN and Six Sigma processes for maximum efficiency and attention to detail on everything from airframe, component and engine jobs to line maintenance. For uncompromising quality and quick turnarounds to meet your schedule at competitive costs, make the move to Delta TechOps. We’ll keep your fleet moving.
To see what sets Delta TechOps apart, come see us at the AP&M Expo (Booth #K10), visit DeltaTechOpsMRO.com or call +1-404-773-5192.
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
Airframe heavy maintenance directory — Americas (cont...) Company
Contact details
Aircraft
Checks
Facilities
AMES cont...
Specialist capabilities and avionics; flight controls Engineering and manufacturing: AS9100: 2004 certified; ISO9001: 2008 certified; airline support; airframe and systems mods; retrofit programs; part manufacturing; kitting; support to CRO and HVM; DER staff Material sales: ASA-100 accredited supplier; domestic and int/l 24/7 AOG; 26 years’ experience; consignments with 52,000 line items for sale
Ascent Aviation Services
R Rick Townsend SVP, sales and business development 6901 S Park Avenue Tucson International Airport Tucson, AZ 85734-1746 USA Tel: 520 294 3481 Fax: 520 741 1430 E-mail: Rtownsend@ascentmro.com
727 series 737 classics 737NG series DC9 series MD80 series MD90’s 717 CRJ100/200
All All All All All All All All
34,000 sq ft 2-bay hangar facility MSG 2/3 heavy maintenance 88,000 sq ft back shop and Structural inspections/ warehouse facilities major repairs 26 acre concrete a/c storage facility Interior refurbishment Exterior refurbishment Avionics upgrades Aircraft modifications Hushkitting Transition services Aircraft storage Aircraft reclamation Inventory consignment sales
Associated Air Center
Gene Carter Director of maintenance sales 8321 Lemmon Ave Dallas TX 75209 Tel: 972 559 7040 Fax: 214 351 2375 E-mail: gene.carter@associated.aero
707 727 737 747 757 767 DC-8 DC-9 MD-87 A319 A320
A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D
3 hangars for w/b and n/b aircraft Interior modifications Avionics upgrades New avionics systems In-flight entertainment STCs CPCP Structural repairs NDT
Aveos
Mark Iddon Director of sales and marketing 2311 Alfred Nobel Blvd Zip 8064 Saint Laurent, QC H4S 2B6 Canada Tel: 514/856-7209 Cell: 514/591-6237 E-mail: mark.iddon@aveos.com
A310 A319/320/321 A330/A340 767 E170/190
A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D
Montreal - 4 lines Toronto - 1 line (paint) Winnipeg - 5 lines Vancouver - 4 lines El Salvador - 4 lines
Comp. repairs, eng. overhauls, mods and cabin conversions, avionics upgrades, land gear, composite repairs, mechanic training, CPCP, hushkitting, interiors, inventory management, NDT, strip/paint, SATCOM/IFE
Aviation Technical Services
Phil Fields VP, airframe business development 3121 109th St. SW Everett WA 98204 USA Tel: 425 423 3604 Fax: 425 423 3508 E-mail: phil.fields@atsmro.aero
717 727 737/BBJ 747 757 767 777 A320/ACJ DC-9 DC-10 MD-80
A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D All phase checks
27 n/b bays 8 w/b bays 1,000,000 sq ft of hangar, backshop and office space
Heavy maintenance Component repairs & o/hauls VIP mods Wi-Fi & IFE removals/installs Post delivery mods Winglet installations Composite structure repairs P-F conversions Avionics upgrades Paint/strip (n/b and w/b) CPCP Engineering services Technical publications Component specific: rotable/piece part exchange; product improv.
Greg Buller GM/VP component services (address as above) Tel: 425 423 3204 Fax: 425 423 6064 E-mail: greg.buller@atsmroaero Cascade Aerospace
Lorna Thomassen Lockheed Martin C-130 Director, marketing 737 and 757, all models 1337 Townline Rd Bombardier DHC-8 Abbotsford British Columbia V2T 6E1 Canada Tel: 604 850 7372 Fax: 604 557 2655 E-mail: LThomassen@cascadeaerospace.com
A-D A-D All
230,000 sq ft
Major modifications Avionics upgrades IFE installations STCs and engineering Structural repairs Comp. repairs and overhauls Cargo conversions Fleet management Program management Integrated logistics support Aircraft modification kits
Commercial Jet
David M Sandri President Miami International Airport 4600 NW 36 Street Bldg 896 Miami, FL 33166
A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D
1 hangar: 89,000 sq ft
Interiors Strip/paint CPCP, SSID Composites Modifications Avionics upgrades 727/737 cargo conversions Sheet metal, NDT Graphic design, VIP config. TAWS/HF/GPS/TCAS ER fuel tanks
Mail: PO Box 668500 Miami, FL 33166 Tel: 305 341 5150 Fax: 305 871 0076 E-mail: sales@commercialjet.com
76 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
707 727 737 757 767 MD-80 DC-8 DC-9 DC-10 MD-11 A300 A310 A320
Ramp: 100,000 sq ft
Unscheduled maintenance problem? Need to bring an aircraft on line? Seeking a reliable â&#x20AC;&#x153;nose-to-tailâ&#x20AC;? service partner?
The 'Go -To' MRO .
If your aircraft faces an unexpected maintenance problem, Commercial Jet can solve it quickly and efficiently. sm
Our CJET-Priority Care team knows how to handle the most challenging unscheduled projects so your asset returns to service with minimum downtime. From lessee transitions to scheduled maintenance to emergency issues, you can expect the best from Commercial Jet and we deliver every time. Known for reliable and responsive aviation services for more than 20 years, Commercial Jet has earned the trust of the world's leading airlines, owners and operators. Our team takes care of the most challenging unscheduled maintenance and modifications, including freighter conversions and aircraft completions. Of course, we are also experts in nose-to-tail scheduled maintenance. For advanced MRO solutions, contact Commercial Jet today.
Conversion Center Commercial Jet is an authorized conversion facility for Aeronautical Engineers, Incorporated
Mailing Address PO BOX 668500 Miami, FL 33166 AVIATION WEEK
Miami, FL
Headquarter Facility 4600 NW 36 Street, Bldg 896 Miami Intl. Airport, FL 33166
12-14, 2011 MRO April Visit our booth #1824
AMERICAS
Inside USA 1-888-322-6658 Outside USA 305-341-5150 Fax 305-871-0075
Email: Solutions@commercialjet.com www.commercialjet.com
FAA approved Repair Station OMJR606K sm Commercial Jet logo and CJET-Priority Care are registered trademarks of Commercial Jet, Inc. AEI is a registered trademark of Aeronautical Engineers, Inc.
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
Airframe heavy maintenance directory — Americas (cont...) Company
Contact details
Aircraft
Checks
Facilities
Specialist capabilities
Coopesa
Rodolfo Solis Director, sales and marketing 300 Mts Oeste Aeropuerto Intl Juan Santamaria San Jose Costa Rica Tel: (+506) 2437 2830 / 2828 Fax: (+506) 2437 2829 / 437 28 01 E-mail: marketing@coopesa.co.cr
A320 727 737CL 737NG 757 DC-9 MD-80
C,D C,D,MSG-3 C,D,MSG-3 C,MSG-3 C,D C,D,MSG-3 C,D,MSG-3
6 n/b 86,000 sq ft
Ageing mods./struct. repairs CPCP/SSID 727 cargo conversions Flight controls/composites GPS,TAWS,DFDR,AFIRS Hushkitting Interiors refurbish. and paint NDT, strip/paint TCAS, w/shear, ELT
Delta TechOps
Jack Turnbill VP - technical sales and marketing Dept 460, 1775 Aviation Boulevard Atlanta GA 30354 USA Tel: 404 714 4949 Fax: 404 714 3281 E-mail: jack.turnbill@delta.com
737 757 767 777 MD-80/-90/-11
A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D
16 bays - Atlanta 8 bays - Minneapolis 1 bay - Salt Lake City 1 bay - Cincinnati 1 bay - Boston
Full support repair facility Composite and inventory support Eng/APU repairs and o/hauls Engine condition monitoring Strip/paint Tech. training and eng. support Disabled aircraft recovery structural repairs
Embraer Aircraft Maintenance Services
Steve Stayshich Director - customer services 10 Airways Boulevard Nashville TN 37217 USA Tel: 615 367 2100 Fax: 615 367 4327 E-mail: sstayshich@embraer.com
135/140/145 E170/195 Saab 340
A-D A-D A-D
90,000 sq ft hangar space 28,000 sq ft paint hangar 35,000 sq ft component repair/ overhaul shops 15,000 sq ft composite repairs
Avionics reps and installations Accessory repairs Landing gear overhauls Composite repairs Interior component repairs and refurbishment Aircraft modifications Aircraft painting
Glenn Brown Sales manager Tel: 954-359-3838 E-mail: gbrown@embraer.com Empire Aero Center
David O’Neill or Rob Tilson Director, sales and marketing 394 Hangar Road Rome NY 13441 Tel: 604 512 4550 or 514 755 7676 Fax: 315 838 1515
707 727 737 747 757 DC-8 A319, A320, A321, A330 MD-80 DC-10
A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D
W/b and n/b 12 bays Hangar space: 500,000 sq ft Ramp space: 225,000 sq ft
Interiors Seat overhauls Ageing a/c mods. CPCP Avionics upgrades Painting Winglet modifications IFE modifications
Evergreen Maintenance Center
Fernando A Pereyra VP sales and marketing Pinal Air Park, MARANA, AZ 85653-9501 USA Tel: 520 682 4181 Ext 5472 Fax: 520 616 5065 E-mail: fpereyra@evergreenmc.com
727 737-200/-300/-400/-500 737NG 757/767 747 series 777 DC-9/MD-80, MD-90 DC-10/MD-11 A320
All All All All All All All All All
5 bays: 110,000 sq ft
CPCP and SSID Component overhauls NDT, strip/paint Training Storage/parking Teardowns, letter checks Avionics upgrades Structure repairs Composite repairs Interiors, structural repairs VIP corp mx services Field team support EASA certified
First Air Maintenance Services
Rashwan Domloge VP, maintenance and engineering 20 Cope Drive Kanata, Ontario K2M 2V8 Canada Tel: 613 254 6282 Fax: 613 254 6398
737-200C 737-217 737-2L9 767-223 L382G ATR42-300 ATR42-320 ATR72-212
A,B A,B A,B A A,B A A A
28 commuter bases; 6 maint. bases Aircraft 4 hangars Avionics Total area: 110,280 sq ft Structures Engines Components NDT Instrumentation Engineering Training
Mexicana MRO Services
Hector Cobo Maintenance director Av 602, No. 161-A Col. San Juan de Aragon Del. Venustiano Carranza Mexico City, 15620 Mexico Tel: (+5255) 57 86 65 34 Fax: (+5255) 57 62 15 42 E-mail: hector.cobo@mexicana.com.mx
A318 A319 A320 A321 A330 727 737 757 767 F100
A,C,D,E A,C,D,E A,C,D,E A,C,D,E A-D A-D A,C A,C,D,E A-D A-D
Mexico City base: Heavy maintenance Modifications Main hangar: 97,951 sq ft for ADs, SBs, SLs 1 w/b and 3 n/b or 4 n/b Ageing, SSI and CPCP Painting hangar: 45,208 sq ft Major comp. replacement Exterior platform: 1,568,237 sq ft NDT for more than 40 A/C Line maint. (40+ locations) Spare parts warehouse: 22,605 sq ftPainting Avionics and electrical Guadalajara City base: ATEC 5000 and 6000 Instruments Main hangar: 53,206 sq ft for Communications two n/b Sheet metal Exterior platform: 1,002,647.5 sq ftHydraulic, fuel, oil, pneumatics and accessories shops Composite repairs Interiors Emergency equipment Cargo conversion Hushkitting Engineering services A/C parking Training Airbus MRO Network member
78 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
MPD/MSG2/MSG3 MPD/MSG2/MSG3 MPD/MSG2/MSG3 MPD/MSG2/MSG3 MPD/MSG2/MSG3 MPD/MSG2/MSG3 MPD/MSG2/MSG3 MPD/MSG2/MSG3 MPD/MSG2/MSG3
solutions for aviation mro equipment and cargo handling Teleplatforms for aircraft painting and maintenance
Docking Systems for aircraft painting, maintenance and conversion
Engine Handling Systems for test cells and maintenance centers
CTI-Moves mobile omni-directional work platforms for maintenance
Cargo Handling Systems for automated cargo logistics
12, op der Sang L-9779 Lentzweiler G.D. Luxembourg P: +352 2685 2000 F: +352 2685 3000 cti@ctisystems.com
www.ctisystems.com
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
Airframe heavy maintenance directory — Americas (cont...) Company
Aircraft
Checks
Facilities
Specialist capabilities
Pacific Aerospace Resources Dave Graham and Technologies VP tech. support and customer relations 18200 Phantom West Victorville CA 92394 Tel: 760 530 1767 Fax: 760 246 5159 E-mail: dgraham@pacificaerospacegroup.com www.pacificaerospacegroup.com
Contact details
717 727 737 747 757 767 777 DC-9, MD-80 DC-10 MD-11 A320 A330 L-1011 EMB120
A-C A-C A-C A-D A-C A-C A-C A-C A-C A-C A-C A-C A-C
2 w/b, 1 n/b 250,000 sq ft Back shops
Heavy maintenance Line maintenance Modifications Aircraft disassembly
STA Panama
737 A320 E190
A-D A-D A-D
2 hangars 6 n/b aircraft 260,000 sq ft
Letter checks CPCP EO/SB modifications Avionics modific. and upgrades NDT Fabrication Composite shop Strip/paint IFE/interiors completion
737 747 757 767 DC-8 DC-9 MD-80/90 DC-10 MD-11 A300 A320
A-D A,B A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D
Dothan, AL: 588,000 sq ft 7 w/b and 10 n/b
737-300/400 freighter, quick change and combi conversions CPCP Ageing aircraft Paint/strip Avionics upgrades Interior reconfiguration Seats/galleys/lavs. NDT Composite repairs Engineering
CRJ200/700/900 E145/170/190
Overnight, phase, Special Visit Line, Mods, C
Stephen Lim SVP marketing, Americas Building 241, Bryant Avenue Howard, PO Box 0843-03036 Balboa, Panama Tel : 210 854 9169 Fax : 210 293 2638 E-mail: stephenlim@stengg.com
PEMCO World Air Services Kevin Casey President Pemco 4102 N. Westshore Blvd Tampa, FL 33614 USA Tel: 813 322 9600 Fax: 813 549 6039 E-mail: marketing@pemcoair.com
Tampa, FL: 310,500 sq ft 2-3 w/b or 5-6 n/b Cincinatti, OH 160,000 sq ft 6 = RJ Acft
STA San Antonio
Stephen Lim SVP marketing, Americas 9800, John Saunders Road San Antonio Texas 78216 USA Tel : 210 854 9169 Fax : 210 293 2638 E-mail: stephenlim@stengg.com
727 737 747 757 767 777 A300 A310 A320 DC-9 DC-10 MD-11 MD-80 ERJ-135/145 CRJ-200/700
A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-C A-C
7 hangars 700,000 sq ft 8 w/b and 7 n/b aircraft
Letter checks CPCP EO/SB modifications Avionics modific. and upgrades NDT Fabrication Composite shop Strip/paint Interior refurbishment IFE/interiors completion VIP/corporate jets/heads of state
SEMAN Peru
Carlos Rodriguez General manager Avenida Coronel EP Edmundo Aguilar Pastor S/N Lima 4 Peru Tel: (+511) 477 5570 Fax: (+511) 477 0877
DC-8 DC-10 L-382 727 737
A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D
4 hangars Smallest: 1,250m2 Largest: 4,900m2; accommodates 2 DC-8s
Avionics upgrades Standardisations Composite repairs CPCP - ageing mods. Structural repairs NDI: X-ray, ultrasonic eddy current, LP, MP inspection RVSM, TAWS Paint-stripping
Stambaugh Aviation
MR Stambaugh Jr All n/b a/c Accountable manager 747 1000 Jetport Road DC-10 Brunswick GA 31525 USA Tel: 912-265-7244 Fax: 912-262-0225 E-mail: jrstambaugh@stambaughaviation.com
A-D A,B,C A,B
2 n/b 8+ commuter Over 23,250m2
727 and 737 cargo Door conversions Interiors Paint/strip CPCP-ageing mods Avionics upgrades Prototype work NDI and engine borescope Engine management VIP
STA Mobile
Stephen Lim SVP marketing, Americas 2100 9th Street Brookley Complex Mobile AL 36615 USA Tel : 210 854 9169 Fax : 210 293 2638 E-mail: stephenlim@stengg.com
A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D
8 hangars 900,000 sq ft 8 w/b, 10 n/b aircraft
Letter checks CPCP EO/SB modifications Avionics modific. and upgrades NDT; Fabrication Composite shop; Interior refurbish. IFE/interiors completion Passenger-to-freighter conversions Line maintenance services Ageing aircraft modifications Winglet installation Pylon modifications Damage assessment/repair
80 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
737 747 757 767 777 A300 A310 A320 A330 DC-9 DC-10 MD-11 MD-80
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
Airframe heavy maintenance directory — Americas (cont...) Company
Contact details
Aircraft
Checks
Facilities
Specialist capabilities
TAP Maintenance and Engineering Brazil
Ricardo Vituzzo General manager - sales Estrada das Can·rias, 1862 21941-480 Rio de Janeiro / RJ Brazil Tel: (+55-21) 3383 2140 Fax: (+55-21) 3383 2300 E-mail: ricardo.vituzzo@tapme.com.br www.tapme.com.br
727-100/200 737-200/300/400/500 737-700/800/900 747-200/300 757-200 767-200/300 777-200 DC-10 MD-11 A300 A300-600 A310 A330 A340 EMB120 ERJ-145 E170/175 E190/195
A-D A-D A, C A, C, D A, C A, C A, C A, C A, C A, C C C C C A, C A, C Up to 24.000hs check Up to 24.000hs check
Rio de Janeiro Hangars: 1 Capacity: 4 w/b Area: 14,500m2 Total area: 250,000m2
Heavy maintenance Component overhauls Landing gears Engines and APUs Avionics Hydraulics Mechanical accessories Pneumatics Wheels and brakes Plating shop NDT Painting Interiors Calibration
TIMCO Greensboro, NC
John Eichten, SVP sales 623 Radar Rd Greensboro NC 27410 USA Tel: 336 668 4410 ext 3019 Fax: 336 665 9011 E-mail: john.eichten@timco.aero
727 737 757 767 A300/A310 DC-10/KC-10/MD-11
A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D
7 w/b 14 n/b 704,000 sq ft
Structural Composites Avionics Modifications (int/ext) Maintenance programme Winglets Avionics upgrades Interiors CPCP
TIMCO - Lake City, FL
John Eichten, SVP sales PO Box 1909 5530 East Highway 90 Lake City Airport Lake City FL 32025 USA Tel: 336 668 4410 ext 3019 Fax: 336 665 9011 E-mail: john.eichten@timco.aero
707/KC-135 727 737 757 A319/A320 C130/C141/P3 DC-9/MD-80
A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D
11 bays maintenance 2 bays dedicated paint 7 hangars 632,000 sq ft
Structural Composites Avionics Modifications (int/ext) Aircraft paint Interiors Winglets
TIMCO - Macon, GA
John Eichten, SVP sales Middle Georgia Regional Airport 150 First Drive, PO Box 10136 Macon, GA 31297 USA Tel: 336 668 4410 ext 3019 Fax: 336 665 9011 E-mail: john.eichten@timco.aero
737 757 767 A319/A320 DC-9 / MD-80
A-D A-D A-D A-D A-D
3 bays n/b up to 757 2 hangars 116,000 sq ft
Structural Modifications (int/ext) Avionics upgrades NDT Winglets Interiors
747 757 767 777 A319 A320
A-C A-C A-C A-C A-C A-C
10 n/b bays 90+ line stations w/line network 2.9 million sq ft
FAA 121 operator FAA 145 repair station Avionics Engine overhauls Landing gear Components APUs ISO 9000:2001 compliant Engine test cell Global emergency/AOG maint. Modifications IFE/interiors Line maintenance
United Technical OperationsPaul Lochab (formerly United Services) MD, supply chain and sales United Technical Operations San Francisco CA 94128 USA Tel: 650 634 4269 Fax: 650 634 5926 E-mail: paul.lochab@united.com
Porto Alegre Hangars: 5 Capacity: 1 w/b, 5 n/b Area: 12,500 m2 Total area: 140,000 m2
Any companies not listed in this survey which wish to be included in future directories are asked to contact joanne.perry@ubmaviation.com.
✱ ✱ ✱ ✱ ✱ ✱
News & Views Latest Technology New Products Finance Deals MRO Contracts People Moves
Delivered direct to your desktop — each and every working day! Contact the Sales Team today to reserve your banner ad space on Tel: +44 (0) 207 579 4846 / or 45 / or 75 alan.samuel@ubmaviation.com | simon.barker@ubmaviation.com | anthony.smith@ubmaviation.com
❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
81
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
Logical logistics Efficient supply-chain management is crucial to the running of the air transport business — but the high-value nature of commercial aircraft and their parts create uniquely intensive logistics challenges. This makes logistics providers, and the transportation options they choose, fundamental to the smooth operation of the industry, as Chris Kjelgaard reports. ithout efficient ways of getting spare parts to airlines and MRO operators, and of supplying OEMs with components in timely fashion for final assembly of aircraft and engines, the entire air transport industry would grind to a halt very quickly. Airlines would soon be bankrupted if they couldn’t rapidly replace any broken parts or malfunctioning assemblies grounding their aircraft at airports distant from their main bases. The aircraft-on-ground (AOG) situation is surely the commonest emergency in the airline business, occurring several to many times a day throughout the world — but every AOG is an operational emergency, nevertheless, and is taken extremely seriously. A strange incident in January 1986 serves to illustrate how significant a problem the logis-
W
82 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
tics of spares provisioning for AOG emergencies was in the dark days before widespread computerisation. A Northwest Airlines Boeing 747-100 on which this reporter was travelling from Prestwick to New York JFK via Shannon Airport was grounded at Shannon when the operator of the motorised air bridge to the aircraft forgot to lock the bridge’s movement controls after the bridge was positioned against the aircraft. A small boy disembarking from the 747 spotted the wheel controlling the bridge’s up-and-down movement and spun it round. This raised the bridge, forcing the 747’s main passenger door off its hinges. No replacement 747 door was available in Ireland, so Northwest had to fly one in on a special flight from its main base at Minneapolis/St. Paul, along with a mainte-
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
nance crew. The aircraft was grounded for more than 24 hours and the airline had to accommodate in local hotels the nearly 400 passengers travelling on the flight. Because the fuselage skin and the structure surrounding the 747’s door was also damaged and the maintenance crew fitted an emergency patch to allow the aircraft to fly the day after the incident, Northwest had to make sure that nobody would be endangered by a potential sudden depressurisation. So when the 747 took off the next day the carrier had to move all the first-class passengers on the flight back into economy class, suffering not-inconsiderable revenue consequences in the process. After the aircraft reached New York and disembarked its passengers, Northwest flew it non-revenue back to Minneapolis/St. Paul and hangared it there for four days to repair the aircraft, leaving the 747 unable to fly its normal schedule and creating delays throughout the airline’s system. The incident — the result of about two seconds of a small boy’s time — cost the carrier more than $750,000, Northwest later confirmed. Twenty-five years later, the aerospace logistics business has developed very sophisticated systems and processes to minimise the chances of such problems proving as intractable and as expensive to solve. “The movement of aircraft spare parts is one of the biggest challenges for logistics service providers, due to the diverse nature and the multitude of parts and the time constraints needed to fit them,” explains Ralph Perkins, managing director of the Aviation Logistics Network (ALN).
Airlines, MROs or aerospace companies which use non-specialist forwarders to move their spares or AOG parts run risks, he notes. “We sometimes see packaging that is not always the best. We’ve seen cardboard boxes being used for $35,000 or $50,000 components.” In addition to offering fully integrated supplychain management employing Red Prairie software which can process and track several thousand part numbers, ALN has developed its own packing solutions for aerospace parts. One is Com4Cube, a re-usable, flat-pack component container which comes in various sizes and is able to handle weights of up to 500kg.
Aerospace parts logistics networks Created by UK freight forwarder Davies Turner & Company along with French forwarder QualitAir & Sea and German Central Global Cargo (all three of which had large specialist aerospace divisions) in 2006, ALN is one of several co-operative networks of logistics providers created to offer global coverage to the aviation and aerospace industries. ALN now has more than 50 member forwarders, which together offer local coverage in 106 locations worldwide. Membership is only by invitation and all prospective new members of ALN must demonstrate that they can respond appropriately to AOG situations. Another such specialist network is Aerospace Logistics Group, which offers coverage at 184 locations. “We are 100 per cent aerospace-focused, as opposed to a lot of companies that are forwarders first and dabble,” says Perkins.
❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙ 83
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
The movement of aircraft spare parts is one of the biggest challenges for logistics service providers, due to the diverse nature and the multitude of parts and the time constraints needed to fit them. —Ralph Perkins, managing director, Aviation Logistics Network
84 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
Each Com4Cube features RFID coding for ease of tracking. Another ALN product is Securium, effectively a portable warehouse which provides a night safe for urgent AOG spares. Opened by means of a chip-and-PIN lock, a Securium can be placed outside a client’s premises and collected again the next morning after the client has placed the AOG part inside it for shipment. Once a signed collection note is processed, the part can be dispatched and ALN’s system GPStracks the box all the way through to its destination. ALN has also developed and patented a foldable, transportable engine crate and integrated engine stand for Pratt & Whitney Canada PW100-series turboprop engines and small jet engines. ALN provides various other specialised services for its aerospace logistics customers. “Customer-profiling software linked to our database ensures that any special requirements or collection options, or specific needs of the shipper and consignee, are fulfilled as part of the contract review on each and every consignment,” says Perkins. “We also provide KPI (key performance indicator) information to both shipper and consignee on AOG, critical and routine shipments. These reports can be sent on a daily, monthly or quarterly basis.” Typically, KPI measurements include whether the part was picked up from the consigner on schedule; if it was on the flight that ALN had told its customer it was going to be;
and if it was delivered to the end-user airline on time. One customer’s KPI reporting requirements are so strenuous that the list of measurements is more than four feet long when printed out, according to Perkins. A recent example of ALN’s capabilities to handle a logistics crisis even bigger and more urgent than an AOG emergency comes from QualitAir & Sea. In mid-March, the French forwarder chartered an Air France Boeing 747400F on behalf of the French government to transport 96 tons of nuclear-protection equipment and boric acid (a nuclear-reaction inhibitor) supplied by French company Areva, the world’s largest manufacturer of nuclear reactors. The material was urgently required at a Japanese nuclear power station powered by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries reactors. (The power station was not either of the highly endangered Fukushima stations, since neither has any Mitsubishi reactors — but 23 Japanese nuclear power stations do.) QualitAir & Sea then monitored all groundhandling and customs clearance for another flight of nuclear-protection equipment the following week by the Antonov An-225, the world’s largest fixed-wing aircraft, in a charter arranged by Air Partner.
Large logistics companies and spares-and-logistics providers Some logistics companies, such as the DB Schenker division of Deutsche Bahn, are so large that they represent themselves through-
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
out the world rather than belonging to a network. DB Schenker, which combines all of Deutsche Bahn’s third-party logistics and transportation activities in one unit, employs more than 91,000 staff in about 2,000 locations across 130 countries and generates revenues of more than €15bn a year. Like ALN, DB Schenker provides specialist services to the aerospace industry. “The aerospace industry has specific requirements, language, pre-requisites that must be addressed properly,” explains DB Schenker spokesman Dr Peter Sauer. “We operate solutions 100 per cent-dedicated to the aerospace industry, with staff and teams from both the transport/logistics world and the aerospace industry, implemented worldwide. We design and operate transport and logistics solutions customised to aerospace companies, whether they are OEMs, MROs, airlines,” or other aerospace firms. Meanwhile Boeing subsidiary Aviall, a Dallas-based company, is both a major spareparts supplier and a logistics company. Aviall lists more than two million parts in its inventory management system and holds more than $1bn-worth of spares in its warehouses.
For companies in the aerospace business, Aviall offers specialised logistics solutions such as consolidations, special packaging, documentation, kitting, inspections and other services, according to Sam Carter, director of Aviall’s CDC operations. (‘CDC’ is an abbreviation of Central Distribution Center, the company’s central warehouse in Dallas.)
Dealing with AOG situations Because AOG events are so critically important within the aviation industry, Aviall, ALN and DB Schenker have created special organisations specifically to deal with them. “DB Schenker has a dedicated worldwide network of 35 AOG desks, available 24/7/365 with duty officers,” says Sauer. The company also has a dedicated AOG information-technology tool it calls ATOL (AOG Tool On Line) to follow its response to each AOG situation step by step. This real-time, online, interactive IT platform provides for creating the necessary documentation to ship and track the part and clear it through customs; managing the AOG response in real time; and generating all relevant KPIs. “Every AOG is different and special,” notes Aviall’s Carter. “We have a dedicated AOG team
on call and available 24/7/365, ready to make the most appropriate response. Our goal is to ship AOG orders within four hours.” ALN has specialist teams on call on a 24hour basis, 365 days a year, throughout its network to deal with AOG emergencies. The network offers a special AOG telephone number at every gateway it serves, connecting the customer with the nearest ALN AOG centre. At each centre, trained aerospace-industry staffers handle each call. “We have access to charter carriers, run our own on-board couriers, and have accounts with air taxi operators and, of course, every major airline,” says Perkins. Because major express-cargo integrators such as United Parcel Service and FedEx Express are of necessity airlines as well as freight forwarders, such companies are well aware of their aerospace clients’ special requirements – particularly when an AOG situation is involved. UPS, FedEx, DHL and other integrators suffer AOG events and so they are sympathetic to providing assistance in AOG emergencies. “UPS, as part of the airline community, participates in parts-pooling arrangements and works with other carriers to loan or borrow
Global Component Service Provider Power By The Hour Inventory Leasing Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul Trading, Sales, Loans & Exchanges Global Logistics Solutions 24/7 AOG Support solutions@avtrade.co.uk www.avtrade.co.uk visit Avtrade at AP&M Expo, 4-5 May 2011, Stand C13, Grand Hall, Olympia, London, UK
❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
85
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
UPS says that, as part of the airline community, it participates in parts-pooling arrangements and works with other carriers to loan or borrow parts in support of daily operations. parts in support of daily operations,” says UPS Airlines spokesman Michael Mangeot. “These services are often supplied on an AOG basis. We work co-operatively within the aviation community, as our ability to help often comes on the heels of something we may need.”
Cargo integrators and the spares logistics business Aerospace logistics providers use cargo integrators extensively in shipping parts to their customers. Some customers demand that the spares provider use a particularly cargo integrator or airline all the time, but if a customer doesn’t specify, the spares company or logistics provider will select the transportation option which best meets the client’s time and cost requirements. “A provider must analyse the traffic lanes it supports. Look for the carrier that is the most cost-effective with the best on-time delivery record in the particular destination area,” says Carter. “For example, the best carriers for the US aren’t always the best carriers for Europe.” UPS does business with many aerospace companies, both as a shipper and as a customer. “Not surprisingly, we require all our vendors to
86 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
ship via UPS when sending parts to us,” says Mangeot. “Some do tell us that they use UPS for all their shipments. Certainly, the speed of our express-shipping network and its global reach make UPS well-suited to handle AOG situations.” As a logistics provider and shipper, UPS says it does business every day in approximately 800 airports and 220 countries worldwide, according to Mangeot. “So, no matter where the situation, we have options for getting an urgent shipment where it needs to be.” (Officially there are actually only 195 countries in the world, so Mangeot must mean the number of territories in which UPS does business.) As a transporter of parts and also a logistics specialist, UPS has a variety of shipping options it can offer aviation parts companies, airlines and aerospace logistics providers. “Transportation of aviation parts and components could be classified under a wide range of services, depending on what the customer needs,” says Mangeot. “We can certainly transport smaller items as part of our air express network, or even in our ground system for parts that aren’t required as urgently. In terms of our freight offerings, we move jet
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
engines in our aircraft — UPS Air Cargo — and more often via truck, UPS Freight.”
Supporting the customer Various considerations face parts suppliers and aerospace logistics providers in supporting their customers. From the parts-provider’s point of view, of most importance is “knowing your customers and their needs,” according to Aviall’s Carter. “Providers must have the technology and networks in place to make readily available the inventory that customers need. It is critical to have parts in locations as close to our customers as possible,” he says. Adds Carter: “Ideally, providers should have an expansive global network that includes a sales force with local presence in key areas focused on meeting customers’ needs. Inventory should be located in each geographic region based on the unique needs of customers in that area. Next-day service for our customers is essential, so proximity to a major transportation hub such as an airport is ideal. Providers must also be capable of using multiple transportation services, including those that serve international markets.”
From the logistics provider’s viewpoint, “inter-continental and inter-regional logistics flows must be addressed properly,” notes DB Schenker’s Sauer. “Logistics providers must be able to support a dense network of experts, offices and facilities, in line with the aerospace markets worldwide,” he says. “Services must also cover a large range of capabilities, from basic transport solutions to emergency AOG operations, or from basic warehousing services to complex reverse logistics solutions.” (Reverse logistics is the term the logistics industry uses for getting used material back to the supplier for recycling or repair.) “A logistic supplier should be able to design a customised and effective solution for each customer-specific issue raised by its supply-chain organisation.” ALN’s Perkins agrees. “Flexibility, the ability to be responsive and to demonstrate innovative solutions to often-complex and changing needs” are crucial, he says. “For instance, a routine replacement part scheduled for delivery to a MRO centre may, within the space of a few hours, turn into a time-sensitive consignment,” particularly if a failure of that part number on an aircraft leads to an AOG emergency. “This pro-
Providers must have the technology and networks in place to make readily available the inventory that customers need. It is critical to have parts in locations as close to our customers as possible. —Sam Carter, director, CDC operations, Aviall
❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
87
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
A new era in aerospace logistics SDV’s Lee Purdy, business development manager – aerospace, explains the key to a successful delivery and why fundamental changes are occurring in the aerospace logistics sector. In the logistics industry it is important that nothing is left to chance, particularly within aerospace, for all movements – regardless of size, budget conditions and service requirement. Contingency plans must be organised and quickly put into place, should any part of the process fail. If shipments are not processed correctly, and the status should change to AOG, the logistics provider must have the flexibility to quickly react and upgrade any purchase order. The same also applies to items moving through a repair process – any delay has a knock on effect and can quickly result in additional cost for the customer. The planning, preparation and monitoring for all movements is key to a successful delivery – this is critical for more sensitive items such as engines and APUs. Clear defined processes for the correct handling throughout the supply chain must be in place, covering all parties involved. An incorrectly strapped engine, or an engine arriving on a non air-ride vehicle can cost companies thousands just to investigate the possible damage to the bearings – this is why precise management for all areas of the transportation is key. An Aviation Logistics Network 12 ton capacity forklift loads an engine. The network now has more than 50 member forwarders, which together offer local coverage in 106 locations worldwide.
I believe that we are entering a new era in aerospace logistics and that over the next five to ten years we may see the OEM/MROs insisting on full supply chain management being managed through only class A suppliers, for improved pricing, visibility and flexibility in the provision of transport. It will be interesting to understand how this moves forward and how the face of the industry changes with ever more consolidation of major groups of companies.
duces challenges for the logistics supplier to be able to route the part via the quickest, safest and most cost-effective method, allied to the urgency.” Additionally, “The relationship between parts supplier and the logistics contractor is vitally important. Parts suppliers need to know that they are in capable hands with experts who know the difference between a routine shipping requirement and a true AOG situation.”
The future Transporting aviation spares will always create unique challenges for logistics companies. “One minute we can be arranging the transportation of an aircraft engine worth $10m and the next a washer with a $35 value — and yet either could have the ability to ground an aircraft,” notes Perkins. “The one thing you can guarantee is that nothing ever stays the same.” Some of the changes affecting the global dynamics of the spares-logistics industry are clearly defined. For parts suppliers, advances in technology and evolving customer requirements mean that “our success will depend on our ability to accurately predict or forecast the correct parts to procure and stock”, says Carter. Companies such as Aviall need to continue to invest in technology, systems and networks and to keep improving the efficiency and accuracy of their supply-chain activities, says Carter. They
88 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
also need to enhance their business intelligence; and by integrating their systems more completely, give their suppliers and customers the ability to see the location of products in partssuppliers’ warehouses on a real-time basis. Sauer says parts suppliers and end-users will increasingly continue to outsource their transport and logistics requirements. In parallel, increasing globalisation will create more joint ventures, and more co-operation programmes among parts suppliers, logistics firms and airlines. Total-support care packages and power-by-the-hour agreements will continue to proliferate. “We certainly see a trend towards more partnering between parts and supplies organisations who are looking to outsource the noncore-revenue-generating areas of their operations, such as warehousing and freight management, to organisations such as our own,” in an attempt to look holistically at improving turn-round times and cutting costs, remarks Perkins. Meanwhile, he concludes, “Over the past few years we have seen considerable growth of the BRICs markets and there will undoubtedly continue to be a migration of spend away from Europe into those markets.” Companies involved in the aerospace-spares logistics business will have to keep their wits about them in order to thrive. ■
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
Independent avionics repair shops face a challenging future as OEMs move to limit access to support data, according to Bernard Fitzsimons. Meanwhile, the long battle to reduce the incidence of no fault found testing continues.
Avionics repair and NFF testing vionics account for about 15 per cent of the component maintenance costs of a typical airliner, according to a recent Aerostrategy study for the US Aeronautical Repair Station Association. The manufacturers of the equipment do about 45 per cent of the work, airlines do 30 per cent of it in house, and the remaining 25 per cent is third party work conducted by either airlines or independent shops. The independents, though, are watching that share erode as the OEMs move to tighten their grip on the aftermarket by restricting access to the documentation needed to keep test and repair procedures current. “Every
A
90 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
month we take several items off our support list because another OEM has said that documentation is now proprietary,” says David Tripp, sales and marketing manager with Aero Instruments & Avionics in New York state. “We already have the tooling, we have the books, but if you want to make sure the book is up to date you’ve got to ask the OEM or you have to get a service bulletin, and every time we ask they say that’s now proprietary.” The problem is compounded by consolidation among the manufacturers as traditional names are swallowed up by the bigger players, he says: “We have fewer friendly vendors to work with, and it keeps eating away at the number of com-
FACT: Max rotational speed 2,550 rpm
AIRCRAFT TECHNOLOGYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S annual publication for the aero-engine professional JUST FACT, NO SPIN
Space Booking Deadline: October 10th, 2011 Artwork Copy Deadline: October 17th, 2011
If you want to promote in the 2012 edition of The Engine Yearbook, or if you would like any other information, please contact any of the Sales Team: Simon Barker, Alan Samuel or Anthony Smith on Tel: +44 (0) 207 579 4845/ -46/ -75 or via Email: simon.barker@ubmaviation.com or alan.samuel@ubmaviation.com or anthony.smith@ubmaviation.com
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
Aero Instruments & Avionics employs more than 100 technicians, covering 30,000 part numbers and hundreds of OEMs.
An Aerotech avionics test bench. ponents we can repair.” And while the 100 technicians on Aero’s staff still cover 30,000 part numbers and hundreds of OEMs, Tripp says, for small, specialist shops dependent on just a few vendors, “it can get very scary”. Bob Eriksen, vice president of Ontario-headquartered Otto Instrument Service, echoes Tripp’s concerns. “Our primary challenge right now is being able to maintain test equipment that has the capability to support modern avionics,” he says. Writing programmes for the test equipment often requires access to the definition of the proprietary software that many LRUs contain. In some cases the OEMs are willing to license that intellectual property in return for a
92 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
royalty for use of the data, or for the repairs carried out. “But some of the larger OEMs choose not to support third party repair stations,” he says. “They will support the airlines directly that choose to establish this capability, purchase the test stands and build an avionics shop to support their avionic components. But that’s as far as it goes. They’re trying to draw the work back through their own shops, so supporting someone like Otto Instrument would be viewed as supporting the competition.” Without that support, expensively acquired automatic test equipment (ATE) becomes useless, says Tripp. “The vendors are either leaving the business or they have a new tester and they’re deleting support for the older tester. We’re always trying to buy new test equipment, but the test equipment is getting so complex with the further integration of the boxes, more and more software intensive, more and more ATE required to test. So the OEMs fund their test equipment vendor to create a tester for them and their service centres and they make that available to tier one airlines only — United, Delta, those few airlines that still have shops — but the vendor cannot sell to anyone unless the OEM approves it, and they’ve told him not to sell to third party vendors so it’s getting tougher and tougher.” The OEMs, of course, have good reasons for wanting more of the aftermarket. “Their margin on new production going into the airplane is
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
being reduced,” says John Ardussi, a former design and service engineer for avionics OEMs who is now director of business development with test equipment manufacturer Aeroflex Avionics. “The aircraft manufacturers try to get the suppliers to become what they call partners, which means buying into the programme. And that’s why aircraft spares, whether it’s radios or anything else, the prices are really high. Because that’s where the OEMs can make their money.” Aero’s David Tripp has some sympathy. “The OEMs have high overheads because they have high engineering costs to develop these products,” he says. “OEMs are now risk sharing partners and they don’t get any revenue till boxes start actually delivering to customers. So they’ve put quite a few vendors right near the brink and the vendors are looking for other revenue sources to replace what used to be charged as non-recurring engineering up front.” The only way around the data roadblock, says Otto’s Eriksen, is when an airline wants to develop a second source for repairs and is willing to share the information. “We have found some airline customers that are willing to do that and that allows us not only to support
them but then we can develop new capability outside support from the OEM and try to help other operators in the process.” In-house development can sometimes help, he adds: “There are some avionics shops that have some very brilliant engineers, they’ve been able to take the LRU component and in some cases develop their own test equipment. Not only that, they’ve also been able to write their own automated test procedures in a software format based on the maintenance manual requirements and their knowledge of how the LRU function.” Aero takes a pragmatic approach, says Tripp: “We just say, ‘pleasure doing business with you, we’ve got other things to do’ and we turn our attention elsewhere.” Otto, says Eriksen, has aligned itself with one of the biggest OEMs, taking over the Honeywell Avionics Repair Center in Sun Valley, California, in 2003. “They’ve licensed us for their equipment and actually transferred the equipment from one of their facilities to our location and then supported us with the manuals and software programming. But that’s very specific to the components that they wanted us to support. We’re only supporting work that
Every month we take several items off our support list because another OEM has said that documentation is now proprietary. —David Tripp, sales and marketing manager, Aero Instruments & Avionics
❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
93
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
Ontario-headquartered Otto Instrument Service says its primary challenge is in being able to maintain test equipment that has the capability to support modern avionics.
94 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
they send to us, we don’t have use of that equipment and technical data to work directly with others.” Aeroflex, too, is working with OEMs on its new equipment, notably the ATB7300 automatic test bench and the RFEM RF extension module for the Cassidian Test & Services ATEC 6. “We’re working with Cassidian,” Ardussi says. “We have developed a new extension to their ATEC in co-operation with them. It’s entirely Aeroflex developed and manufactured, and it just rolls up, plugs into their ATEC and allows them to do testing of RF equipment whereas previously they were only able to do analogue and digital. We’ve already delivered
one to All Nippon Airways. Our initial launch was 787 customers, but we’re adding a library for more stuff retroactively as well.” The idea behind the ATB7300, he says, “is to have a complete test bench that can do both transmitting and analysis of RF signals and to some extent the digital and analogue signals from a given product”. He adds: “Our strategy is to work closely with OEMs and get them to adopt our product, and then under controlled rules allow them to flow out to other shops where they would want to use them, especially airline shops but also, if possible, to general shops. Because it’s software driven, it’s programmed in a PXI chassis and allows us to write additional tools essentially as software rather than additional hardware. So we can add new types of capability with a lot less effort. In the old days we had to completely redo a piece of hardware.”
NFF testing The new Aeroflex boxes should help address the perennial problem of no fault found, which remains the outcome of around 30 per cent of tests. A box removed from an aircraft, shipped to the repair shop, tested and returned to the operator not only wastes resources, it means a spare has to be installed in its place, increasing inventory costs. Ardussi actually wrote the book on the subject (one of them, anyway, the 1996 ARINC
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
In many cases I'll hear the airlines complaining about particular support from a certain OEM and that very few seem willing to extend themselves past that point and actually work with an independent shop to help develop an alternate source. —Bob Eriksen, vice president, Otto Instrument Service
Report 431 No Fault Found — A Case Study, which looked at a specific LRU on the MD-80; ARINC subsequently produced Report 672 Guidelines for The Reduction of NFF in 2008, while Ardussi also points to Report 625-2 Industry Guide for Component Test Development and Management and 668 Guidance for Tool and Test Equipment (TTE) Equivalency). He says the problem drove a change in the relationship between airline and vendor. “It used to be that if you returned a box to OEM XYZ they’d say this is NFF, we’ll charge you $350 for a NFF return charge. And airlines would get peppered with these charges which
96 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
they got no value out of from their perspective.” The airlines insisted that the airframers address the problem, which they did by requiring component OEMs to take responsibility for at least part of the NFF cost. “The airlines have to keep their records well, but if they do they can go back to the OEM supplier and say, ‘you need to refund such and such for NFF charges’. But the whole thing has forced the aircraft manufacturers and the OEM avionics suppliers to do a better job of making sure that they reduce the NFF problem at the outset. And they’ve been quite successful. So the NFF issue has, I think, run down dramatically compared to what it was 20 years ago. I’ve been in the business more than 20 years, and boxes are more reliable, and the built-in troubleshooting systems are more sophisticated and more reliable than they once were.” NFF is still a big part of Aero’s business, says David Tripp. A lot of them are from brokers wanting equipment they are buying or selling tested to give them an up-to-date AD130 or EASA Form 1 tag. Others come from operators: “We charge them the minimum charge for our time and we send it back as tested, and we will tell them on the repair done report that if they indicated a complaint, that complaint was not verified.” From his perspective, he sees the complexity of modern aircraft, allied to pressure on line engineers to demonstrate that action has been
ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE
taken, as one factor behind the phenomenon. “It’s hard to know everything about the airplane from front to back, so they misdiagnose. It’s generally a case of ‘pull the most convenient box, one we have in store here that we can replace.’ And it’s amplified by some airlines’ policy that says if a pilot squawks, something has to occur at the line station before that airplane can be despatched. So you combine those two traditional things and no fault found is never going to get any better.” The support agreements that commonly cover new aircraft for a flat rate per hour may also contribute to the problem by making it easier to pull a box than look for the underlying problem, says Eriksen: “That type of agreement really would hinder an airline’s ability to understand why they’re pulling the boxes off. If they just pull them off and swap them out every time there’s a problem they may not understand whether there really was a problem with that component or whether it is with the operator’s system. They might reduce the level of trouble shooting, and they still expend the labour to remove and replace the boxes.” Whatever happens, Tripp concludes, the airlines will end up being deprived of choice when it comes to avionics repairs. “We haven’t really entered the 777 or A340 markets, and any new airplane going forward we can’t really enter and play in the game like we did in the past. So the end result is the airlines won’t have repair options, they’ll have to buy spares or depend on spares being pooled somewhere, and somebody will be paying for that.” Like Tripp, Eriksen has found the airlines supportive at events such as ARINC’s annual Avionics Maintenance Conference: “In many cases I’ll hear the airlines complaining about particular support from a certain OEM and that very few seem willing to extend themselves past that point and actually work with an independent shop to help develop an alternate source.” Everybody agrees there is a problem with an avionics component being supported by an OEM, he says, whether it is turnaround time or delivery performance. “We’ve always stepped forward and said we’re willing to work with any airline that would like to break free of that obstacle. We have the technical knowledge to work on those components, we have the engineering ability to design and develop test equipment, and certainly the ability to purchase equipment we might need. All we really need from the airline is support and sharing the technical data that will enable us to develop the automated test procedures and support any updates.” But he remains convinced that the airlines are ultimately interested in trying to reduce their
maintenance costs: “These avionic components are very expensive LRUs. Even if the only problem were long lead times for return delivery from OEMs that hold the key to that support, if it means that the airline needs to stock two or three components to accommodate that repair turnaround time as opposed to one or two, and you multiply that by the number of components installed on the aircraft and by the number of aircraft in their fleet, there would be a sizable saving if they were able to work with a more flexible, nimble, smaller supplier that could return the components quicker.” ■
ALWAYS ON CALL FOR ON TIME PERFORMANCE Prompt and exceptional service is the hallmark of Otto Instrument & Avionics. This unwavering commitment has earned us a reputation of excellence within the aircraft instrument and accessories overhaul REPAIR & OVERHAUL • INSTRUMENTS • AUTOPILOTS industry. Even the most demanding customer • ACCESORIES • FUEL FLOWS requirements are met time and time again. Add • WIRE HARNESSES • FIRE DETECTION • ASSEMBLIES to this a professional customer support staff and highly trained technicians, and you will experience responsive and cost-effective service. And when it comes to manufacturing, including wire harnesses, ground support equipment,OEM Components, Electronic Assemblies and more, simply there is no match.
THE POWER OF FLIGHT
A Division of OTTO Instrument Service, Inc. — Est. 1946 1441 VALENCIA PLACE • ONTARIO, CA 91761 • (800) 777-6886 • (909) 930-5800 • FAX (909) 930-5808
wwww.ottoinstrument.com
L I C E N S E D & A U T H O R I Z E D R E PA I R C E N T E R
❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
97
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Maintenance planning and scheduling Predicting things before they happen could be the saviour of many industries. In aviation, this notion is even more telling than in others because the lives of passengers are continually on the line. Automated IT planning and scheduling tools are a key factor in integrated software solutions that enable proactive planning. Tony Arrowsmith looks at some of the latest packages. TRAX Chris Reed, managing director of TRAX, believes that the essentials of effective maintenance and planning software lie in having the correct data, aircraft inspection requirements, flight schedules, manpower, materials and hangar space available. “Then it is having the ability to link all of that data together to make a picture of what is required, when it is required, and how you intend to accomplish it,” he told ATE&M. The company’s TRAX Maintenance software provides a graphical planning tool for short, medium and long term planning, according to Reed. Additionally, the TRAX long term planning
98 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
module has been developed in collaboration with the company’s customers to provide up to a ten-year detail plan and a 20 year summary plan of maintenance requirements. The company has been working on RFID provision within the application for supporting tracking components on the new generation of aircraft. “We have programs in place for specific developments regarding new aircraft such as the 787 which has a high level of software based components,” says Reed. “This includes a new long-term planning module, more mobile device support; complete web based installations, electronic signature and enhanced digital documentation support.”
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
TRAX software is used by a number of airlines of different sizes and complexities due to the fact that it contains functions and features that are advantageous at all levels. Reed says: “One of the benefits that our customers find is that even the smaller carriers often have good development ideas for the package as they tend to be more efficient in the usage of their resources and rely more heavily on the software tool to do the job for them, hence higher levels of automation.” Reed adds that his clientele’s selection processes “were very thorough and it was always a tough competition to get the business, however, TRAX provides very strong customer support and implementation services.” Naturally, these services are essential in making the complex and difficult process of implementing such software a less difficult ride. The software is highly developed and contains the majority of the functions that the market requires; “out-of-the-box rather than going through expensive and time consuming development programs,” he says.
Cimber Air Data Denmark’s Cimber Air Data is about to release the ‘Next Generation’ (NG) update of its AMICOS software — a fully web enabled
solution with facilities to integrate “best of breed” solutions that interface and share common data with AMICOS. Rune Hagen, president and CEO says the product gives customers “the possibility to view and monitor all activities and data by graphical components” giving operators the edge “both in long term planning as well as detailed planning/hangar floor planning”. Another module, especially designed for MROs, has also been released recently, encompassing a wide range of functionality. “One example is that you can incorporate the various contracts you might have, a full cost collection facility, ability to generate invoice documents, including pre, down and post payment,” says Hagen. “It is fully integrated to AMICOS NG and the work package generation, including work papers directly linked with graphical inputs from vendor — or your own.” AMICOS solutions, says Hagen, are based on the standards and business requirements that are effective for the aviation industry. Unlike many other solutions available to market, he says they “are not modified production planning systems and as such we have from the beginning incorporated all requirements,
In order to gain the true advantages available through automated workflows, e-signatures, and other advanced business processes, a significant amount of training and change management must occur in an organisation. —Evan Butler-Jones, product marketing manager, Mxi Technologies
❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
99
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
TRAX Maintenance software provides a graphical planning tool for short, medium and long term planning.
100 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
philosophies and expressions that are special for the industry”. The integrated architecture enables the system to generate work packages, material requests, allocations and reserve tools in order to identify the skill and competences required. This in turn acts to streamline the planning and maintenance process. The ability to identify shortages of material and tools early in the planning process allows purchasing departments to take appropriate action which, again, helps to reduce costs and increase reliability — ensuring aircraft are released for service according to plan.
As aircraft become more computerised, Hagen expects to see an increase in systems that can integrate directly to the aircraft. He says: “We will see more of EFB [electronic flight bags] as a means of cost reduction. System like ours must either integrate to EFB or create ‘Apps’ that are compatible and share data with the main solution.” Looking to the future, he makes two predictions. “I expect the winners in our industry to be those vendors who will be able to understand and secondly incorporate solutions that are improving their clients’ quality and economy,” he comments. He also believes there will be more consolidation in the business. Companies will “join forces with previous competitors” or “incorporate smaller vendors as part of the large players’ portfolio of solutions”.
Omega Airline Software Omega Airline Software is the developer of Ames, an enterprise software suite dedicated to managing maintenance schedules of commercial aircraft. Michael Formby, director of marketing, believes automated planning and scheduling tools are now operating at such a sophisticated level because of “computer processor speed and power” in addition to memory being so inexpensive it has allowed companies “to integrate more power into the scheduling engine”.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
In the past, there was a lot of concern about the speed of the operation and how much internal memory was being used; now those things aren’t really a problem. This allows companies to open up the scheduling engine to do more for the planner before he or she even gets started. The package specifics of Omega Airline Software are manifold. For example, the LRP creates an optimised maintenance plan for any fleet size or configuration for up to 20 years and includes budget and fleet planning (availability) functionality. In addition, the event scheduler interfaces with the long range planning module to maintain and add detail to the plan as each visit nears production. It can also schedule Line/RON, which takes maintenance requirements from various sources and consolidates them into a visual tool for creating the line and/or RON maintenance schedule. This in itself incorporates shop scheduling, package builders, base visits, which schedules and build packages for base/heavy check maintenance, and AmesMRO — a labour and facility management for MRO organisations. Formby has identified a shift in recent times from Windows-based apps to a web/browser
based platform. This move will make implementing, using, and maintaining an Ames system easier than it’s ever been. “We offer the only functionality of its kind in the marketplace,” claims Formby. “Ames has been in use since 1991 and it has been under continuous improvement since then. All of our customers have contributed something to making Ames better.” Each customer has its own specific requirements. An optimisation function in the software allows prioritisation of whatever goal the customer is trying to achieve, whether it is aircraft availability, revenue, yield or maintenance cost, available resources or MRO utilisation. Another benefit of the software is in timing. “Ames greatly reduces response time when information is needed,” says Formby. “If management needs to know the effects of a change to the business environment, a planner with Ames can tell them in minutes rather than hours or days.” Ames also increases visibility of vital data as well as the quality, accuracy, detail and stability of that information. “Anyone in a planning department can tell you that being a planner also means you have to be an amateur desktop publisher from all of
Ames has been in use since 1991 and it has been under continuous improvement since then. All of our customers have contributed something to making Ames better. —Michael Formby, director of marketing, Omega Airline Software
AMOS
A STORY OF SUCCESS
–
“THE BEST FIT IN TERMS OF FUNCTIONALITY, PRICE AND MARKET STANDING,” STATES EASYJET READ MORE ABOUT THE WORLD-CLASS M&E SOFTWARE SYSTEM AT SWISS-AS.COM
❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙ 101
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Top: The Ames planning GUI is a fully interactive planning tool that can display maintenance plans out as far as 20 years. Centre: All of the data grids in Ames are multi-function, planners can filter data, move columns, and export the grid in WYSIWYG mode for quick reports. Below: The tabular view of the plan gives the planner all of the information they need to analyse the plan. This view can be exported into Microsoft Excel and manipulated from there.
102 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
the Excel sheets and charts and graphs and things you have to build in order to distribute the plan across the organisation to anyone who needs it,” concludes Formby. “Ames makes this part of the job easy with web based viewing and reporting on the plan plus many ways of getting the information that is needed out of the plan.”
Mxi Technologies Due to the fact that aviation maintenance is a very information-intensive business, Mxi Technologies’ has developed a third generation Maintenix solution that enables an environment where maintenance information is accurate, up to date, and available on demand.
“Just as importantly,” says Evan ButlerJones, the company’s product marketing manager, “Maintenix software also shortens the reaction time to respond to new situations. Other solutions on the market today simply act as a data repository, or provide users with complex screens filled with massive amounts of data that do not provide real business benefit to an organisation.” Instead, the information housed within the Maintenix solution can effectively and efficiently be used to enable process automation, enforce business and regulatory rules and shorten reaction times in the event of non-routines or unexpected operational changes. In contrast to legacy systems and a number of currently-marketed solutions, third generation business systems are designed to enable an optimised maintenance enterprise, by looking at the business of maintenance holistically, and looking for ways to use information and process models to find the most effective way to run the business. Maintenix has been developed over the last 15 years — in conjunction with many of the world’s leading maintenance organisations — to enable an optimised third generation approach to maintenance. A third generation
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
approach includes modelling the data, the business processes and rules, the standard regulatory rules, and other decision points directly into software. “Using these rules along with the real time information contained within solution, Maintenix is able to simplify the work of the maintenance organisation. As one example, several customers have seen this approach reduce the effort required to create and schedule work packages by 30-60 per cent, while reducing the potential for human error in the process,” said Butler-Jones. The Maintenix software is broken down into five key modules, with several sub-modules falling under each. The key modules comprise maintenance engineering and information management, maintenance planning, maintenance execution, material management and finally, business support. “Most of Mxi’s customers look at their adoption of Maintenix as a key enabler in moving to a new way of doing business. Our customers often hit upon two challenges, common in enterprise software projects, when implementing Maintenix,” said Butler-Jones. One of the challenges, he says, is organisa-
tional change management. “In order to gain the true advantages available through automated workflows, e-signatures, and other advanced business processes, a significant amount of training and change management must occur in an organisation.” Often, according to Mxi, the adoption of Maintenix means a significant shift in the dayto-day work of many people in the organisation, as their roles change from repetitive data processing and paper based communications to more proactive activities. “Recognising the importance of each individual’s understanding of the new business approach, Mxi works with our customers to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible.” The second challenge is in improving information cleanliness and accuracy. “In the process of adopting the Maintenix solution, customers often find that data held within their existing systems is out of date, or inaccurate. Maintenix software’s sophisticated data checking rules flag these inaccuracies as soon as they enter the system, where previously they may have gone uncorrected. Cleaning the data as it is moved from old systems into Maintenix software is an important factor in ensuring that
Those companies that understand the relationship between the aircraft maintenance operations and core enterprise resource planning have made the largest steps in the industry. —John Stone, director, product and market management, Ramco Systems
AMOS
A STORY OF SUCCESS
–
“AMOS HAS CLEARLY MET THE EXPECTATIONS AS A FULL SYSTEM FOR MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS,” SAYS FINNISH AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE READ MORE ABOUT THE WORLD-CLASS M&E SOFTWARE SYSTEM AT SWISS-AS.COM
❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙ 103
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Mxi Technologiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Maintenix software is broken down into five key modules, with several sub-modules falling under each.
mechanics and materials managers are not bothered by â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;bad dataâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; when the new system is turned on.â&#x20AC;?
Ramco Ramcoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s director, product and market management, John Stone, believes the key to effective maintenance and planning software is simplicity and visibility. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is no single key to effective software, rather a combination of functions that enable overall effectiveness,â&#x20AC;? he comments. Within these constraints, he lists graphical representations of maintenance due in relation to due date, estimated ground time, and maintenance program yield, constraint management,
task dependency representation and graphical drag and drop into maintenance slots as the defining factors in successful software platforms. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Specifically, those companies that understand the relationship between the aircraft maintenance operations and core enterprise resource planning have made the largest steps in the industry. It is not enough to have a planning engine that runs against rule sets and displays in a project Gantt chart. The software must be developed first and foremost around the concepts specific to maintenance programs and their execution.â&#x20AC;? This allows for reliable tracking of the aircraft and component compliance while ensuring that manpower constraints, supply chain performance and maintenance base utilisation can be accounted for and maximised. As part of the Series 5 product for M&E and MRO, Ramco has incorporated a user friendly planning board. The planning board provides graphical views that can be filtered to show individual aircraft, fleets and medications in a single view. Maintenance program items can be easily collected into work packages and a full view into the materials, tooling and other constraints is provided. Once the planner has created the work package, these can be moved (via drag and drop) to a graphical slot planner. Slots can be predefined to maintenance bases, flight schedule opportunities, hangar bays and shop locations. Once work is assigned to specific locations, materials are automatically picked for the local warehouses as appropriate, or movement requests are generated to transfer the materials from one location to another, if required.
3URYLGLQJ WKH SLHFHV \RXU EXVLQHVV QHHGV WR EH VXFFHVVIXO LQ WRGD\¡V JOREDO HFRPRQ\ Â&#x2021; ,QYHQWRU\ 052 0DQDJHPHQW 6RIWZDUH Â&#x2021; 3DUWV 6HUYLFHV 0DUNHWSODFH Â&#x2021; 0DUNHW ,QWHOOLJHQFH 5HSRUWV Â&#x2021; 6ROXWLRQ ,QWHJUDWLRQ $XWRPDWLRQ
,QYHQWRU\ /RFDWRU 6HUYLFH Â&#x160; //& :RUOGZLGH Â&#x2021; 1 $PHULFD Â&#x2021; PDUNHWLQJ#,/6PDUW FRP Â&#x2021; ZZZ ,/6PDUW FRP
104 â?&#x2122; Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 â?&#x2122;
9LVLW X V D %RRWK W 052
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
“As you can imagine, developing software like this is quite complex. Skills are required in enterprise resource planning systems, database architecture, aircraft maintenance programs and planning, user centric design and human factors engineering, and many higher end specialty skills aside from the meat and potatoes application development engineers,” says Stone. He believes that the greatest challenge is solving the usability issue and understanding the right pieces to automate. Ensuring that the planning system meets the core objective of the planning department is critical. With this solved, user adoption and maximum benefit gain is ensured. The latest advancements in Ramco packages are twofold. These being the graphical depiction of the maintenance plan while representing the critical decision making information on a single screen and the ‘available anywhere’ nature of deploying the solution over the web through a secure Internet browser. Two of the major benefits of the Ramco approach to planning are higher aircraft utilisations and more efficient usage of human and supply chain resources. As aircraft operational costs continue to rise, increasing the “lift”, or the daily utilisation of an aircraft, is critical to ensuring operational profitability. “Squeezing more flying time out of an aircraft every day helps to reduce overall fleet operating costs, and maximising the yield of the maintenance program helps to boost the lift as well as reduce the maintenance costs,” Stone states. “It is now possible to reduce the number of A-Checks, and other scheduled maintenance activities, performed in a year
As part of the Ramco Systems’ Series 5 product for M&E and MRO, Ramco has incorporated a user friendly planning board. without compromising safety or maintenance program compliance.” Stone believes that in the future, many of the immature point solutions for automatic planning and optimisation will stabilise and find their way into the mainstream as standard features. This process could take a few years as most of the solutions that exist today are science projects that require a tremendous amount of care and feeding, data configuration and user intervention. He concludes: “We are also looking forward to the commoditisation of larger touch-screen displays on the desktops of the back office personnel. This will allow for a more robust user experience as the planning process becomes more about quality interactions with the process and information and less about the technology and screens that are delivering the solution.” ■
Anyone in a planning department can tell you that being a planner also means you have to be an amateur desktop publisher from all of the Excel sheets and charts and graphs and things you have to build. —Michael Formby, director of marketing, Omega Airline Software
The world of aviation maintenance is evolving. Maintenance organizations looking to maintain their competitive edge and safeguard their future need adaptable maintenance software.
EVOLVE
With its unparalleled commitment to quality and innovation, Mxi Technologies delivers industry-leading software that lets you keep pace. Don’t just react to changes in the aviation industry. Evolve with them.
Join the Evolution. mxi.com/evolve
❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙ 105
DATA & DIRECTIVES
Aircraft data: A340-500/-600 Operator fleet listing with engine Operator
Operator Country
Equipment role
Equipment Type
Engine Family
AIRBUS ALGERIAN GOVERNMENT ARIK AIR CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES CHINA SONANGOL INT/L HOLDING EMIRATES ETIHAD AIRWAYS HAINAN AIRLINES IBERIA JORDANIAN GOVERNMENT LUFTHANSA NATIONAL AIR SERVICES QATAR AIRWAYS QATAR AIRWAYS AMIRI FLIGHT SINGAPORE AIRLINES SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS TAM LINHAS AEREAS THAI AIRWAYS INTERNATIONAL UNKNOWN UNKNOWN VIRGIN ATLANTIC AIRWAYS
FRANCE ALGERIA NIGERIA HONG KONG CHINA HONG KONG UNITED ARAB EMIRATES UNITED ARAB EMIRATES CHINA SPAIN JORDAN GERMANY (PRE-10/90 W.G) SAUDI ARABIA QATAR QATAR SINGAPORE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA BRAZIL THAILAND UNKNOWN UNKNOWN UNITED KINGDOM
OTHER OTHER PASSENGER PASSENGER PASSENGER OTHER PASSENGER PASSENGER PASSENGER PASSENGER OTHER PASSENGER OTHER PASSENGER OTHER PASSENGER PASSENGER PASSENGER PASSENGER PASSENGER PASSENGER PASSENGER
A340-500/600 A340-500/600 A340-500/600 A340-500/600 A340-500/600 A340-500/600 A340-500/600 A340-500/600 A340-500/600 A340-500/600 A340-500/600 A340-500/600 A340-500/600 A340-500/600 A340-500/600 A340-500/600 A340-500/600 A340-500/600 A340-500/600 A340-500/600 A340-500/600 A340-500/600
TRENT500 TRENT500 TRENT500 TRENT500 TRENT500 TRENT500 TRENT500 TRENT500 TRENT500 TRENT500 TRENT500 TRENT500 TRENT500 TRENT500 TRENT500 TRENT500 TRENT500 TRENT500 TRENT500 TRENT500 TRENT500 TRENT500
Equip Utilisation
A/C Count
2123 237 6263 1846 16282 1029 41222 53188 2860 70530 479 113706 479 15508 479 22500 35669 7436 37896 8455 8858 81506
1 1 2 1 5 2 10 12 2 15 1 24 1 4 1 5 9 2 10 2 2 21
Eng Count
Engine Utilisation
4 8491 4 950 8 25052 4 7385 20 65126 8 4115 40 164887 48 212754 8 11438 60 282122 4 1915 96 454825 4 1915 16 62032 4 1915 20 89998 36 142674 8 29744 40 151586 8 33821 8 35432 84 326023 Source: OAG Aviation
Airframe heavy maintenance expense by region 2011 Supplier region
Expense category
Equipment role
WESTERN EUROPE UNKNOWN UNKNOWN MIDDLE EAST CHINA ASIA PACIFIC AFRICA
Airframe Airframe Airframe Airframe Airframe Airframe Airframe
PASSENGER PASSENGER OTHER PASSENGER PASSENGER PASSENGER PASSENGER
106 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
Heavy Heavy Heavy Heavy Heavy Heavy Heavy
Maintenance Maintenance Maintenance Maintenance Maintenance Maintenance Maintenance
Total spend (US$,000) 21,648 36,034 963 12,564 762 1,120 1,424 Source: OAG Aviation
DATA & DIRECTIVES
Total MRO spend by event type, 2011-2015 Year
Event Type
2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2013 2013 2013 2013
A CHECK AIRFRAME HEAVY MAINT-MAJOR AIRFRAME HEAVY MAINT-MINOR AVIONICS & SYSTEMS MODS CH21 CH22 CH23 CH24 CH25 CH26 CH27 CH28 CH29 CH31 CH32 LDG CH32 W&B CH34 CH35 CH36 CH49 CH73 CH75 CH76 CH77 CH78 NON-TR CH78 TR CH79 CH80 DAILY + WEEKLY CHECK ENGINE IFE COMPONENTS IFE MODS INTERIORS MODS PAINTING PTF TRANSIT CHECK A CHECK AIRFRAME HEAVY MAINT-MAJOR AIRFRAME HEAVY MAINT-MINOR AVIONICS & SYSTEMS MODS CH21 CH22 CH23 CH24 CH25 CH26 CH27 CH28 CH29 CH31 CH32 LDG CH32 W&B CH34 CH35 CH36 CH49 CH73 CH75 CH76 CH77 CH78 NON-TR CH78 TR CH79 CH80 DAILY + WEEKLY CHECK ENGINE IFE COMPONENTS IFE MODS INTERIORS MODS PAINTING PTF TRANSIT CHECK A CHECK AIRFRAME HEAVY MAINT-MAJOR AIRFRAME HEAVY MAINT-MINOR AVIONICS & SYSTEMS MODS
108 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙
Total MRO Spend (US$,000) 15,136 52,364 22,150 49,389 11,017 5,806 4,467 6,009 16,168 1,056 12,072 2,254 16,025 7,236 4,978 16,317 12,864 253 7,489 17,277 26,041 751 496 983 2,044 0 2,950 3,442 48,933 454,531 36,332 30,128 72,229 5,565 0 23,077 15,093 50,816 18,685 58,513 11,781 6,232 4,794 6,426 17,289 1,129 12,909 2,410 17,136 7,766 21,355 17,427 13,806 269 8,008 18,420 27,845 803 524 1,039 2,185 38,890 3,116 3,636 48,444 409,000 40,327 35,210 95,275 6,360 0 22,847 15,049 55,437 26,240 64,910
Year
Event Type
2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015
CH21 CH22 CH23 CH24 CH25 CH26 CH27 CH28 CH29 CH31 CH32 LDG CH32 W&B CH34 CH35 CH36 CH49 CH73 CH75 CH76 CH77 CH78 NON-TR CH78 TR CH79 CH80 DAILY + WEEKLY CHECK ENGINE IFE COMPONENTS IFE MODS INTERIORS MODS PAINTING PTF TRANSIT CHECK A CHECK AIRFRAME HEAVY MAINT-MAJOR AIRFRAME HEAVY MAINT-MINOR AVIONICS & SYSTEMS MODS CH21 CH22 CH23 CH24 CH25 CH26 CH27 CH28 CH29 CH31 CH32 LDG CH32 W&B CH34 CH35 CH36 CH49 CH73 CH75 CH76 CH77 CH78 NON-TR CH78 TR CH79 CH80 DAILY + WEEKLY CHECK ENGINE IFE COMPONENTS IFE MODS INTERIORS MODS PAINTING PTF TRANSIT CHECK A CHECK AIRFRAME HEAVY MAINT-MAJOR AIRFRAME HEAVY MAINT-MINOR AVIONICS & SYSTEMS MODS CH21 CH22 CH23 CH24
Total MRO Spend (US$,000) 11,747 6,504 5,003 6,407 17,239 1,126 12,872 2,403 17,086 8,105 39,031 17,253 14,409 266 7,985 36,472 27,765 801 539 1,068 2,179 32,084 3,204 3,738 47,959 300,936 41,920 52,565 99,400 6,448 0 22,618 15,005 46,913 24,843 50,994 11,712 6,954 5,349 6,388 17,188 1,122 12,834 2,396 17,036 8,666 30,590 17,080 15,406 263 7,962 19,343 27,683 799 537 1,065 2,173 30,175 3,194 3,727 47,480 456,095 43,576 30,830 88,625 3,975 0 22,392 14,960 94,038 15,482 55,324 11,677 6,933 5,333 6,369
DATA & DIRECTIVES
Total MRO spend by event type, 2011-2015 (cont...) Year
Event Type
2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015
CH25 CH26 CH27 CH28 CH29 CH31 CH32 LDG CH32 W&B CH34 CH35 CH36 CH49 CH73 CH75 CH76
Total MRO Spend (US$,000) 17,136 1,119 12,795 2,388 16,985 8,640 30,285 16,909 15,359 261 7,938 23,618 27,600 796 536
Year
Event Type
2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015
CH77 CH78 NON-TR CH78 TR CH79 CH80 DAILY + WEEKLY CHECK ENGINE IFE COMPONENTS IFE MODS INTERIORS MODS PAINTING PTF TRANSIT CHECK
CAPACITY Pax: Freight
PERFORMANCE Range Mmo Max ramp weight Max takeoff weight Max zero fuel weight Max fuel capacity ENGINES RR Trent 500x4 Thrust range:
A340-600 Specifications
222ft 10in 175ft 9in 18ft 6in 17ft 4in 208ft 2in 56ft 8in 35ft 1in 90ft 6in
67.93m 53.56m 5.64m 5.28m 63.45m 17.28m 10.69m 27.59m
Typical seating: Max: LD3 capacity underflr Max pallet number Bulk hold volumes Total volumes
313 (3-class) 375 30 (31) 30 (31) 10 10 695 (486) ft3 (13.76) m3 5,435 (5,384) ft3 (LD3+bulk) 153.9 (152.5)m3 (LD3+bulk)
900nm M0.86 822.8 (840.4) lb x 10000 820.1 (837.8) lb x 1000 506.9 (511.3) lb x 1000 56,870 (58,875) USG
16,670km
53,000 (56,000) lb slst
1,062 2,166 31,445 3,185 3,715 47,005 510,358 45,297 43,070 91,875 5,565 0 22,168 Source: OAG Aviation
A340-500 Specifications
DIMENSIONS Overall length: Cabin length: Fuselage width: Max cabin width: Wing span (geometric) Height Track Wheelbase
Total MRO Spend (US$,000)
DIMENSIONS Overall length: Cabin length: Fuselage width: Max cabin width: Wing span (geometric) Height Track Wheelbase
247ft 3in 200ft 1in 18ft 6in 17ft 4in 208ft 2in 56ft 6in 35ft 1in 107ft 11in
75.36m 60.98m 5.64m 5.28m 63.45m 17.22m 10.69m 32.89m
Typical seating: Max: LD3 capacity underflr Max pallet number Bulk hold volumes Total volumes
380 (3-class) 475 42 (43) 42 (43) 14 14 695 (486) ft3 19.7 (13.76) m3 7,331 (7,280)ft3 (LD3+bulk) 207.6 (206.2)m3 (LD3+bulk)
7,900nm M0.86 813.9 (840.4) lb x 1000 811.3 (837.8) lb x 1000 540.0 (553.2) lb x 1000 51,750 (54,020) USG
14,600km
373.2 (381.2) tonnes 243.0 (246.0) tonnes 230.0 (232.0) tonnes 215,260 (222,850) litres
PERFORMANCE Range Mmo Max ramp weight Max takeoff weight Max zero fuel weight Max fuel capacity
235 (249) kN
ENGINES RR Trent 500x4 Thrust range:
56,000 (60,000) lb slst
249 kN
CAPACITY Pax: Freight
369.2 (381.2) tonnes 368.0 (380.0) tonnes 245.0 (251.0) tonnes 195,520 (204,500) litres
Source: Airbus
❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 ❙ 109
DATA & DIRECTIVES
FAA airworthiness directives - large aircraft Summary of biweekly listings for the last two months Biweekly 2010-25 2010-23-26S
Airbus
A300
2010-23-27
Airbus
A340-541 and A340-642
2010-24-01
Boeing
737-900ER
2010-24-02
Dassault Aviation
FALCON 7X
2010-24-05
Pratt & Whitney Canada
PW305A and PW305B
2010-24-08
Dassault Aviation
MYSTERE-FALCON 50
2010-24-09
Pratt & Whitney
PW4000
2010-24-11
Boeing
737-600, -700, -700C, -800, -900
Supersedes AD 2006-12-13. Perform a detailed inspection for cracking at the applicable locations. Modify the equipment and the wiring connected to the main and standby pumps in the left and right wing, IAW SB A340-28-5050. Do a one-time general visual inspection for a keyway in the fuel tank access door cutouts 531BB and 631BB IAW SB 737-57A1308. If any access door has a keyway, do a high frequency eddy current (HFEC) inspection for cracking of the keyway. Repair if any crack found is greater than 0.030 inch in length. Install a shield plate on the rear fuel tank structure IAW SB 7X-104. Update AWL section of PW305 EMM P/N 30B1402, to incorporate Pratt & Whitney Canada Temporary Revision (TR) AL-8, dated January 20, 2010, for compliance with the revised in-service limits for the affected Impellers. Do a general visual inspection for correct installation of the emergency brake system number 2 IAW SB F50-515. Perform a one-time visual inspection of the exterior of the No. 3 bearing oil pressure tube for cracks and evidence of being repaired. Seal the fasteners on the front and rear spars inside the main fuel tank and on the lower panel of the centre fuel tank, as applicable, IAW SB 737-57A1279.
Biweekly 2010-26 2010-24-07
Airbus
A318, A319, A320, A321
2010-24-12
Boeing
777-200, -300, and -300ER
2010-24-13
Boeing
747 series
2010-24-14
Pratt & Whitney
PW4000
2010-25-03
Airbus
A300
2010-25-04
McDonnell Douglas
DC-9
2010-25-05
Rolls-Royce Deutschland
BR700
2010-26-01
Boeing
777-200
Do a special detailed inspection of the 80VU rack lower lateral fittings for damage of the 80VU rack lower lateral fittings. Install Teflon sleeving under the clamps of certain wire bundles routed along the fuel tank boundary structure and cap seal certain penetrating fasteners of the fuel tanks IAW SB 777-57A0050. For aircraft with a P10 panel installed, add two new indicator lights on the P10 panel to inform the captain and first officer of a low pressure condition in the left and right override/jettison pumps of the center wing tanks, and, for aircraft that do not have the warning panel (P10 panel) installed, add a mounting bracket and two new indicator lights to the Autopilot Flight Director panel; and replace the left and right override/jettison switches on the M154 fuel control module on the P4 panel with improved switches; and do the associated wiring changes. Remove the low-pressure turbine (LPT) shaft and borescope-inspect (BSI) for cracks in the AVT shelf slots on the 10th stage disk of the HPC drum rotor disk assembly. Do a detailed visual inspection for metallic particles, cracks, scratches, and missing materials of the THSA upper attachment and screw shaft IAW SB A300-27-0203. Modify the fuel boost pumps for the centre wing, and forward or aft auxiliary fuel tanks IAW applicable SB. Initially replace the HPT stage 1 or HPT stage 2 discs with serviceable discs. Install a new insulation blanket on the latch beam firewall of each T/R half IAW SB 777-78A0066.
Biweekly 2011-01 2010-25-06
Boeing
737-200, -300, -400, and -500
2010-26-05
Dassault Aviation
Falcon & Mystere-Falcon
110 â?&#x2122; Aircraft Technology - Issue 111 â?&#x2122;
Do a detailed or HFEC inspection for cracking of the replacement frame section (frame webs, inner chord, and outer chord); and do all applicable related investigative and corrective actions; IAW SB 73753A1254. Inspect for overpressure tightness on both regulating valves. If any leak is found during inspection replace the affected valve with a serviceable unit.
SUBSCRIBE HERE FOR THE FULL ISSUE Subscribe online at: www.ubmaviationnews.com/
Upgrade your UBM Aviation subscription to a paid account with our Special Offer Rates to receive extra benefits not available to those with a complimentary subscription. These include:
SPECIAL OFFER RATES 1 year = £45 (UK), $90 (USA), £55 (ROW) 2 year = £77 (UK), $144 (USA), £94 (ROW) 3 year = £102 (UK), $204 (USA), £126 (ROW)
If applying online, please quote SPECIAL OFFER CODE: UBMANP11 FAX to +44 20 7579 4848. Or send your completed form to: UBM Aviation Publications, Subscription Department, Ludgate House, 245 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 9UY
YOUR DETAILS Full Name
• Free Access to digital back issues of ALL UBMA publications; • Exclusive online database access; • Financing & Investing in Aircraft Annual Guide; • MRO Yearbook 2011; • The Engine Yearbook 2012 and Aerospace IT 2012. It only takes a couple minutes to complete our online form and once your order has been processed you will have immediate access to all paid benefits. Existing paid subscribers can use the promotional offer to extend all current subscriptions.
STANDARD 2010 SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Job Title
1 year = £150 (UK), $300 (USA), £170 (ROW) 2 years = £260 (UK), $520 (USA), £300 (ROW) 3 years = £350 (UK), $700 (USA), £410 (ROW)
Company Address
City
State
Post Code
Zip Code
Form invalid unless fully completed, signed and dated Sign here if you wish to receive Aircraft Technology Engineering & Maintenance Airline Fleet Management
Country Phone
Fax
Signature
Date
PLEASE INDICATE COMPANY’S PRIMARY AREA OF ACTIVITY Airlines Administration
Engines
Technical
Helicopters
Operations
Raw Materials
Manufacturer Airframe Avionics
Simulators O’haul Base Airframes
Allied to Field Advertising Agency
Bank
Non Aviation Publishing
Consultants/Brokers
Parts Dealers
Enthusiast
Public Relations
Government Body
Publishing
Airforce
Ground Support
Regulatory Body
Airport
Insurance
Software Tooling
Other – please specify Aviation Services Academic Institution
Buyer Furnished Eqpt
Engines/Components
Airshow/Conference Co
Leasing Company
Components
FBO
Aviation Association
Legal
NEW AFM iPhone APP COMING SOON
DATA & DIRECTIVES
FAA airworthiness directives — large aircraft (cont...) 2010-26-06
Boeing
737-600, -700, -700C, -800, and -900
2010-26-07
Boeing
747 series
2010-26-08
Boeing
767-200, -300, -300F, and -400ER
2010-26-10S
Boeing
747-200C, -200F, -400, -400D, -400F
2010-26-12
Airbus
A321-211, -212, -231, and -232
2010-26-13
Bombardier
DHC-8-301, -311, and -315
Do detailed external inspections for scribe lines in the fuselage skin at lap joints, the splice strap at certain butt joints, the skin or doubler at certain approved repair doublers, and the skin at decals; and do all applicable related investigative and corrective actions. Do an external detailed inspection for cracks in the body skin around the aft corners of the nose wheel well, and skin splice plate at the aft corners of the nose wheel well IAW SB 747-53A2305. Perform a detailed inspection: for pin migration at either end of the hinge assembly and to detect damage to the pin; for correct crimp at both ends and to detect damage to hinge stock; of the ceiling area for any visible cosmetic and tie-rod chafing that could be caused by a migrated hinge pin; and for wire damage and breakage. Supersedes AD 2006-05-09. Do an external HFEC inspection of the lap joints in Sections 41, 42, and 46 for cracks, by doing all the actions, including all applicable related investigative and corrective actions IAW SB 747-53A2499. Inspect the ring tags of the wing tank harnesses (QT circuit) for integrity and do all applicable corrective actions IAW A320-28A1173. Install a new aileron input quadrant support bracket by incorporating MODSUM 8Q101250 IAW SB 8-57-43.
Biweekly 2011-02 2010-02-05 2010-24-05C
Airbus Pratt & Whitney Canada
Airbus aircraft PW305A and PW305B
2010-24-06S
Short Brothers
SD3 series
2011-01-01S
Embraer
EMB-135BJ
2011-01-02
Airbus
A330 & A340 series
2011-01-05
Boeing
727 series
2011-01-06S
Airbus
A310 series
2011-01-07
Support Services
328-100 & 328-300
2011-01-08S
Fokker Services
F.28 Mark 0100
2011-01-09 2011-01-10
B/E Aerospace Bombardier
(PBE) units P/N 119003-11 BD-700-1A10 and BD-700-1A11
2011-01-11
Boeing
MD-90-30
Modify the cockpit door, IAW applicable SB. Update AWL section of your PW305 EMM P/N 30B1402, to incorporate Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. Temporary Revision (TR) AL-8. Revise the AWL section of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness by incorporating maintenance manual Sections 5-20-01 and 5-20-02 as introduced by the Bombardier and Shorts TRs specified. Supersedes AD 2008-13-15. Perform corrective actions as stated in AD. Install flight warning computer (FWC) software standard T3 (part number (P/N) LA2E20202T30000) on both FWCs, IAW SB A330-31-3146. Perform a detailed inspection for cracking on the aft side of the aft pressure bulkhead web between water line (WL) 217 to WL 230, and buttock line (BL) 48 left to BL 66 left IAW SB 727-53-0232. Supersedes AD 2007-02-22. Accomplishment of the actions required do not terminate the repetitive inspections required by AD. Replace the aileron trim tab fittings P/N 001B576A2101000 (LH) and P/N 001B576A2101003 (RH) with P/N 001B576A2101004 (LH) and P/N 001B576A2101007 (RH) respectively; and replace the rudder spring tab fitting P/N 001A554A1711000 with P/N 001A554A1711006 IAW SB-328-27-488. Supersedes AD 2008-22-14. Remove the tie-wrap, P/N MS3367-2-9, from the lower bolts of the horizontal stabilizer control unit. Remove the lower bolts, P/N 23233-1, of the horizontal stabilizer control unit and install bolts, P/N 23233-3. Replace the PBE with a serviceable PBE. Relocate the No. 2 and No. 3 hydraulic system lines in the wing auxiliary spar area on the left side of the aircraft, and modify the left wing rib and left and right debris shields IAW SB 700-29-021. Do a high frequency eddy current (HFEC) inspection for cracking on the hinge bearing lugs of the left and right sides of the center section ribs of the horizontal stabilizer, and do all applicable related investigative actions IAW SB MD90-55A016.
Note: The letter ‘C’ after the AD number denotes a correction to the original AD The letter ‘S’ after the AD number indicates that the AD supersedes a previous AD The letter ‘R’ after the AD number indicates a revision to the original AD The letter ‘E’ after the AD number indicates an emergency AD The letters ‘FR’ indicate the final rule of an emergency AD Please note that the above information is quoted for interest purposes. The latest versions of the ADs issued by the FAA must be used for reference purposes
112 ❙ Aircraft Technology - Issue 110 ❙
w... no it
Are you AL Nc e
not tha nd
o
d? If ifie rt
Nied L A f i ert
C