Pavel Hales, CEO of Czech Airlines Technics (CSAT), talks to James Pozzi about the possibility of introducing ATR passenger-to-freighter conversions in Prague next year and why it is adding further MRO capacity at its main base.
European airline fleet activity is showing signs of a sustained recovery, with both the number of in-service aircraft and their time in the air rising in recent months.
Airlines returning aircraft to service should factor supply-chain delays into their planning as issues ranging from logistics slowdowns to problems getting aircraft into foreign repair stations threaten fleet ramp-ups, executives at Aviation Week’s MRO Europe conference said.
Rising demand in some markets could affect the pace and scope of aircraft retirements, particularly in the narrowbody sector that supports domestic and intra-regional traffic benefiting from rising leisure-traffic flying.
Airbus is counting on the accelerated adoption of digital tools—as well as the greater use of data analysis and its engineers’ know-how in improving operational efficiency—to take a central position in MRO.
The plan will see prospective ST Engineering aircraft technicians undergo an accelerated three-year on-the-job training dedicated to UPS aircraft works.
Boeing is developing a series of nacelle improvements for grounded Pratt & Whitney PW4000-powered 777s and wants FAA’s blessing to phase them in as they are finalized, instead of delivering a complete, compliant nacelle structure as required by the agency’s certification rules.
