Chromalloy entered into a $10 million, two-year agreement with Air India to repair CF6-80C2, PW4000, CFM56-7B engines and auxiliary power units parts and components. It also inked a $2 million, three-year service agreement with Jordan Airmotive Ltd. Co. for inspections and service on gas turbine engine components, including the JT8D, RB211-524 and CF6-80C2. And, it will provide Pakistan International Airlines with FAA-approved high-pressure turbine blades and component repairs during 2010 through its joint venture BELAC and global repair network.
Chromalloy named Dennis Miller to head its Midwest City, Okla., gas turbine engine maintenance and service center. Miller previously was VP and general manager at Smiths Group’s tubular systems unit.
Air India plans to get into Boeing 787 engine maintenance, per an agreement with GE Aviation. Air India will offer MRO for GEnx-1B engines, and GE will provide the carrier technical support. The GE Branded Services Agreement licenses Air India to service these engines, with GE assisting with work scopes, repair licenses and training.
British Airways signed an agreement with Boeing for the latest version of its real-time aircraft health and performance monitoring service. The initial, five-year contract started April 1 and covers 50 Boeing 747s, 46 777s (with six more on order) and from 2012, its new fleet of 24 787s. The service receives system health and performance data transmitted from aircraft in flight and provides alerts, performance trends and diagnostic information to airlines for technical analysis.
The average MRO labor rate for 2010 is about $49—with the highest rate in Western Europe and the lowest in Latin America and the Caribbean. MRO labor rates, especially in developing areas, started marching up in 2008-2009, but TeamSAI says that trend has “shown signs of a slight reversal in areas such as North America, China and the Middle East.” Labor rates in the Middle East suffered the steepest decline. Labor rates are relatively flat in Africa, Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Human factors has long been a training staple in maintenance organizations. Now, it’s beginning to catch the eye of other departments as well—with some significant implications for maintenance.
Aveos has received a lot of unfavorable press lately regarding its whopping multi-million dollar debt and related takeover by creditors. But what many readers don’t know is that much of the MRO’s reorganization occurred long before the debt-for-equity swap with creditors occurred. Back in 2008, the recession began hitting Aveos hard. Consequently, the company initiated an austerity plan, which included furloughing 20% of its workforce—around 700 people.
LONDON—Design has a huge influence on the through-life costs of aircraft and their components, not only in terms of performance but also improved reliability and reduced maintenance costs. A former aircraft engineer, David Hill, head of maintenance programs engineering for Airbus in the U.K., heads a specialist team at Filton that develops maintenance tasks for the wings, landing gear and fuel systems of Airbus aircraft.
While it doesn’t specialize in turboprops, BAE Systems sees signs that customers want specialized solutions, says spokesman David Dorman. One such customer is Condor Flugdienst, which enlisted BAE Systems' remarketing services for its 13 Boeing 757-300s. Condor's aircraft will remain in operation while BAE seeks a financial institution or leasing company to buy its aircraft then lease them back to Condor. No modifications or upgrades are involved in the work for Condor; BAE purely will seek out entities interested in buying the 13 aircraft.
Mobile Powered Workstation Five models of battery-equipped mobile workstations from Newcastle Systems allow workers to take computers, printers, barcode scanners and other small electronic items with them as they complete a job. An onboard battery that can power four devices simultaneously for up to 10 hours makes it applicable for time-consuming, movement-laden tasks such as inventory management, process control, on-demand label printing, product testing, order picking, cross-docking, weighing, scanning and other common warehouse processes.
The commercial aviation aftermarket is approaching a crossroads, a turning point. The market that rolled downhill through the recession has reached flat ground, so now it’s time to pass through the intersection and start preparing for a slow, steady climb up. It’s not going to be an easy climb, however, so start building your endurance.
When the Transportation Security Administration released its long-awaited security proposal for repair stations last November, industry groups appreciated the balance the agency tried to strike between meeting a congressional mandate and providing flexibility. The initial reaction was that TSA appeared to be headed in the right direction with its notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM).
Delta Air Lines faced the challenge of integrating its existing maintenance operation, Delta TechOps, with that of Northwest Airlines after announcing their merger in October 2008. Its biggest goals were to integrate work groups, compliance and safety systems, logistics and operations using existing IT solutions. Not least, Delta aimed to redefine its third-party MRO offerings by adding on Northwest’s Airbus capabilities. Its success materialized in a complete fleet support contract for Hawaiian Airlines’ Airbus A330 aircraft.
Avtrak will provide Evergreen Helicopters with its maintenance tracking, work order management and inventory control software under a multi-year agreement signed in February. Evergreen is replacing its internally developed system with the Avtrak system to manage its 70-helicopter fleet.
Pratt & Whitney has formed a five-year partnership with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to offer executive leadership training programs for up to 30 leaders annually at Chinese airlines, MRO organizations and CAAC. Participants will receive nearly four months of training at the Civil Aviation Management Institute of China, Pratt & Whitney’s Huapu Aviation Engine Training Center in China, and Pratt & Whitney’s Customer Training Center headquarters in East Hartford, Conn.
The Defense Ministry awarded a 10-year, £865 million ($1.35 billion) contract to Rolls-Royce for MRO of the EJ200 engines in use on the Typhoon fighter. Most of the work will be performed at RAF Coningsby, the Typhoon’s main operating base, and beginning later this year at RAF Leuchars in Scotland, the fighter’s new forward operating base. Some work also will be done at Rolls-Royce plants in Leicestershire and Bristol. The contract provides for support to deployed operating bases and to the Falkland Islands.
HYDERABAD—The opening of the CFM56 Customer Training Center at the strategically located GMR Aerospace Park, occupying space on either side of the runway at Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi Airport, has led the way to more companies entering an arena that until now has failed to attract companies. The Aerospace Park plans to focus on attracting services such as MRO and manufacturing to realize offsets emanating from defense projects and logistics.
Pall Corp. and Turbomeca introduced an upgrade for the Centrisep engine advanced protection system for AS350 Squirrel series helicopters. The upgrade is designed to guard the engine against erosion; Pall Corp. says it has shipped the upgrade to 26 operators so far. Pall Corp. also is providing the EAPS system to Carson Helicopters to support the Sikorsky S-61 helicopter. Carson will develop and hold the supplemental type certification for the upgrade.
DUBAI—Temperatures as hot as 50 degrees C and sand as fine as talcum powder wreak havoc on aircraft in the Middle East, making operational efficiency a challenge for commercial operators here. These conditions translate into engine removals and system maintenance that come well before manufacturer-mandated repair cycles—as well as higher operational costs. To combat these conditions, maintenance managers at Saudi Aramco and Oman Air have worked with OEMs to correct problems and find ways to stop them before they begin.
There’s not much cooperation in military aircraft procurement or sustainment activities in the Middle East, but that could change if a joint venture set to begin operating very soon in the United Arab Emirates achieves its mission of becoming a profitable regional hub for military aircraft MRO.
