Airline alliances are slow to pool the aftermarket needs of their members.

Joint purchasing of MRO is not novel and did exist before the present airline alliances were formed, points out ICF SH&E's Vice President David Stewart.

Aviation's “Dirty Dozen” pinpoints the 12 most common root causes of human error in maintenance, but new human-performance research indicates several of these 12 are linked by one underlying problem: something psychologist Kaye Baron calls “mental debris.” Fatigue, stress, distraction, communication, awareness—all can potentially trace their roots to this single issue.

The writing on the wall is both clear and ominous: FAA's new normal is not working.

1. Fixer-Uppers Supplier: Pacific Aero Tech Offering: Pacific Aero Tech's focus has included repairing and servicing aircraft windows and other transparencies since 1987. The company also boasts one of the industry's largest and most diverse inventories of aircraft windows. The company's capabilities encompass servicing wingtip and landing lenses, windshields and cabin windows on most Airbus and Boeing aircraft. www.mcnally-group.com/pacificaerotech

StandardAero waits until engines need a significant volume of maintenance at full overhaul centers, not just warranty repairs.

1. #1 and Growing Supplier: AAR

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) are harmonizing their approaches to inspecting foreign aircraft under the European Union's Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft (SAFA) program.