A robust and growing market exists for scheduled maintenance on Boeing's 747 family, and while overall reliability is high, the next few years also promise some significant new work as airworthiness directives come close to being finalized this year. Boeing's 747-400 aircraft fleet—passenger and freighter combined—is expected to generate nearly $1.5 billion worth of heavy maintenance visits and C checks during the next three years, $464 million during the next 12 months alone.

JDA Aviation Technology Solutions will hold its regulatory affairs training course on Feb. 14 and 15, 2012, at the American Airlines Training and Conference Center in Ft. Worth, Texas. The course will focus on expanding FAA regulatory affairs knowledge and it will be led by former career FAA managers, principal inspectors and legal counsel.

Swiss-AS is now providing its MRO software package Amos to Brussels Airlines. The carrier's project team plans to turn off its legacy system environment within 10 months to a year after working through the transition to the new software. The Belgian airline is using a third-party service provider, CrossConsense, to oversee data transfer so that it can focus on establishing new and adjusted processes in the technical division. Brussels' fleet consists of 51 aircraft, including Avro RJ85/100s, Airbus A319s, A320s, A330s and Boeing 737s.

Turkish Technik has signed an agreement with Air Bishkek for wheels and tire services on carbon brake units for the carrier's Airbus A320 fleet. Turkish Technik also overhauled one set of Airbus A320 landing gear for the airline. Turkish Technik supported Air Bishkek with its spare units during these shop visits.

As Congress and the White House posture at the beginning of the annual budget season, the Federal Aviation Administration faces a stark reality: major budget cuts. The failure of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, also called the Super Committee, to reach agreement on a $1.2 million deficit-reduction package sets in motion automatic across-the-board cuts government-wide, a process called “sequestration.”

The quest for seamless service reaches into the cabin as carriers look at regional jet upgrades.

FindanIA.com Inc. has launched a new web site, www.FindanIA.com. The global website is dedicated to helping aircraft owners, aircraft maintenance facilities and technicians find FAA certified airframe and powerplant maintenance technicians with inspections authorizations. The site's parent company also specializes in placing contract FAA certified inspection authorities oversees at FAA repair stations.

Sometimes an organization can be doing everything right by the book but still have lots of room for improvement.