The headlines regarding AVIATION WEEK’s annual workforce study tend to focus on program execution. What they do not specifically address are the very real impact points on the support of those programs once they are delivered to customers. And, it’s a point the data tend to reinforce with precision.
DUBAI—As O&M went to press, the financial uncertainty in Dubai had not been resolved. Abu Dhabi was considering whether to bail out its smaller, northeastern neighbor after the biannual Dubai Airshow came to a close. The November aerospace and defense event subtly foreshadowed this shift in capital and influence. Aftermarket requirements spurred several new developments in the down economy, and Abu Dhabi-based firms seemed to move into prime positions to take advantage of these opportunities.
Rolls-Royce won a $720-million Trent 700 order for 10 Virgin Atlantic Airbus A330 aircraft, covered by a long-term TotalCare service support agreement. Trent 700 engines will power six A330s ordered by Virgin Atlantic and four provided by aircraft leasing company AerCap, increasing the total number of AerCap Rolls-Royce powered A330 aircraft to 23. Aircraft deliveries are slated to start in 2011.
Happy new year! While economic and forecast pundits don’t believe 2010 will see an exuberant rebound, the aviation aftermarket seems poised for at least minimal growth. (But don’t expect the marketplace to pick up as quickly as it has following the last few economic downturns.) I gleaned several themes for increasing aftermarket revenue from AVIATION WEEK’s MRO Asia Conference in Hong Kong last month. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but hopefully it will germinate new ideas for your business.
French accident investigation bureau BEA planned in mid-December to release its second interim report on the loss of Air France Flight 447. Before releasing the latest findings, BEA officials indicated they had seen no information leading them to alter their main determination that the airplane did not break apart in flight. Investigators continue to be hamstrung by the fact that the cockpit voice and flight data recorders have not been recovered, but a new search is expected in 2010.
Russian Helicopters, JSC, and Uzrosavia of Uzbekistan signed a five-year agreement in December to work together to service and maintain Russian rotorcraft in Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries.
Iberia Maintenance will conduct line maintenance for DHL Air’s Boeing 757s in Spain under a three-year contract. Iberia will service DHL's 34 aircraft in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville and Vitoria; the agreement extends Iberia Maintenance's work for DHL beyond a 10-year contract signed in May 2009 for maintenance of 80 Rolls-Royce RB211 engines.
Lean and Six Sigma often start in maintenance by cleaning out hangars, putting items not needed frequently into well-organized warehouses. You have to be able to see clearly what you are doing before you can improve it.
The U.S. Air Force tapped Northrop Grumman to develop an anti-jam embedded Global Positioning Satellite and inertial navigation unit for its A-10C Thunderbolt fleet under a $3.3 million, 18-month task order. With subcontractors BAE Systems Control and Borsight Aerospace, Northrop will carry out integrated architecture and life-cycle costs analysis, install a temporary EGI modification, develop a system safety program, and provide program and engineering management support during flight-test operational assessments.
StandardAero received a $36-million delivery order from U.S. Naval Air Systems Command for Taiwanese T56 engine and quick engine change overhaul work. Its San Antonio government and military sector will service the engines of 12 P-3s and eight spare engines that Taiwan agreed to buy from the U.S. Navy. It also received a new, five-year contract from EuroLOT for Pratt & Whitney PW124B/127 engine MRO in Tilburg, The Netherlands and Winnipeg, Canada. Avionics/IFE
Merlin HC Mk3/3a medium-lift helicopters flown by Royal Air Force Sqdn. 78 are the latest U.K. rotorcraft to be upgraded for Afghanistan. The Merlins, built by AgustaWestland, were scheduled for deployment by the end of 2009. The £45-million ($75-million) upgrade included installation of rotor blades that are designed for the hot-high flying conditions of the country and electronic countermeasures to guard against threats.
Capital Aviation received an FAA supplemental type certificate for its Reflections Program to upgrade Bombardier Challenger 600 series aircraft with an end-to-end interior and exterior refurbishment and the installation of Universal Avionics’ WAAS-capable flight management system, EFI-890R flat-panel displays and terrain awareness and warning system.
Lufthansa Technik inked a seven-year component services deal with Olympic Air for 26 aircraft, 16 Airbus A320s and 10 Bombardier Q400s, that includes writing specifications, initial provisioning studies, home base allocation, MRO, troubleshooting, documentation and engineering services.
—Expect to see high-level aftermarket responsibility shift to the U.S. government from industry as the government takes over some resource allocation. This move comes as the Defense Department faces major equipment maintenance because of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but has less planned funding to provide for it. It also comes at a time when manufacturers rely on aftermarket revenue streams, which have been hit by the recession.
Ahlers Aerospace amended STC to install a night vision goggle-compatible interior lighting system on Eurocopter Deutschland MBB-BK 117 B-1 and MBB-BK 117 B-2 helicopters, STC SR09523RC
