Rapid expansion could result in excess capacity for Asian MROs. Other challenges include finding skilled personnel, pressure from OEMs and new aircraft types.

The South Korean government is focused on growing the local MRO industry, while Incheon Airport plans a major new maintenance complex.

Modifications work is the focus of much of the growth in MRO mergers and acquisitions activity, though other sectors show potential as well.

Triumph just sold its APU assets to a private equity group, which that is launching a new MRO company focused on “verticalizing” APU services.

Sensor technology is enabling better monitoring of aircraft systems to support predictive MRO, but ground-based systems also need to evolve.

On the sidelines of Aviation Week’s MRO Latin America, Aeromexico’s senior vice president-maintenance and engineering discusses bringing widebody MRO in-house and rolling out mobile applications for MRO.