U.S. low-cost carrier Southwest Airlines could explore more joint venture and partnership opportunities with aftermarket providers during the next decade as its expansion continues with the introduction of more aircraft and engines.

Foreign countries still have advantages because of U.S. trade restrictions, the Aeronautical Repair Station Association notes.

With the next-generation air traffic management era commencing in North America and Europe in 2020, the airline avionics retrofit market will grow as more legacy aircraft see extended service.

With new engines generating about 1 TB of data per flight, the opportunity for predictive maintenance soars, if the right insight is available.

How two companies are harnessing information flowing from aircraft and engines for predictive maintenance.

Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Co. (Gameco) has become Satair Group’s first Chinese customer for its Airbus Managed Inventory (AMI) service, an automated inventory management solution.

Over the next decade, the North American MRO demand is expected to reach more than $209 billion. Engine maintenance will have the majority at 34%, followed by components at 28%.

Spare engines ensure unbroken airline operations in the event of scheduled and unplanned engine removals.