Until the mid-1990s, nearly 75% of all airline maintenance was performed in-house. In part, that was due to lack of credible alternatives, but it was also a vestige of the pre-deregulation period when maintenance and operations stood as essential and equal pillars of an airline's success, with cost being a far less important element than it is today.

The future of an efficient aviation aftermarket depends on fast, accurate, inexpensive data transfer. That means electronic messaging in standard, machine-readable formats. The industry is making progress, with major airlines and OEMs leading the way. The best small companies are adapting, and many more will need to do so.

The distinctive polished aluminum livery is fading into aviation history

Spairliners has leveraged the experience it gained from its initial Airbus A380 component support capabilities—from parts pooling to logistics—to launch similar services for Embraer E-Jet-family aircraft. The company, a joint venture between AFI-KLM and Lufthansa Technik, was set to highlight the work at the Paris air show, announcing that it began its E-Jet component service in late April and has $80 million worth of E-Jet line replaceable unit inventory—from landing gear to engine parts.

Operators can fly as many as 34 flights before fixing safety equipment

Aftermarket automates and standardizes data

1. Parachutes To Pontoons Supplier: Aerazur Offerings: Aerazur, part of the Zodiac Aerospace group, has been supplying emergency survival gear for more than 60 years. The company makes everything from parachutes and pontoons to life jackets and life rafts for commercial, general aviation and military aircraft. www.aerazur.com

CRJs may be heading down, but they are far from out