AviTrader Monthly MRO E-Magazine 2019-01

January 2019 - www.avitrader.
com
CFM56
overhaul
Q&A In profile:
TrueAero Joramco
People on the Move MRO News
latest appointments from around the world
Editor‘s Page 2
Welcome to 2019!
T
o kick off the first issue of the year, this ing to sub-contract CFM56 work to other provid-
edition of AviTrader comes with more ers due to capacity constraints.
bang for your buck! The cover story looks
behind the scenes at the very popular We also highlight the market for cargo conver-
CFM56 engine and we analyse some of the MRO sions to uncover some of the main issues there.
trends affecting the engine type. Industry figures are showing that 2018 saw a
total of 110 commercial aircraft converted to
Our report highlights some interesting trends, for
Published monthly by instance, we follow a change in policy by CFM
freighters, up from 99 in 2017 and 84 in 2016.
According to experts at Boeing, in the next 20
AviTrader Publications Corp. saying its service licenses and warranties do not years, 2,650 freighters are forecast to be deliv-
Suite 305, South Tower discriminate against the use of so-called PMA ered, with approximately half replacing retiring
5811 Cooney Road parts or DER repairs in engines. This is actually aircraft and the remainder expanding the fleet to
an interesting development considering the use meet projected traffic growth.
Richmond, British Columbia
of the parts and repair methods have sparked so
V6X 3M1 In 2019, both the cargo and MRO markets will
much controversy for years. Despite the general
Canada welcome of this development other players feel it be fascinating to watch.
will bring little impact to current values.
Email: [email protected] Best wishes for the New Year!
Tel: +1 (424) 644-6996 Another notable market trend has been some of
Keith Mwanalushi
www.avitrader.com the larger (often operator-affiliated) shops hav- Editor
Editorial 
Keith Mwanalushi, Editor
Email: [email protected] 
Mobile: +44 (0) 7871 769 151
Design 
Volker Dannenmann,
Layout & Design
Email: [email protected] 
Mobile: +49 (0) 711 46910151
Advertising inquiries
Jenny Vogel
Head of Sales & Marketing
Email: [email protected]
The industry expects to see more serviceable engines on the market.
Tel: +49 (0) 8761 346007 Photo: MTU
Registration Contents
AviTrader MRO is a subscription-free
monthly publication.
MRO and Production News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
To receive a personal copy in your Finance News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
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please click here to subscribe.
Other News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Cover story: CFM56 Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Opinion Industry Interview: Karl Drusch, CEO True Aero . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Please send your comments Company profile: Joramco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
and queries to Cargo conversions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
[email protected]
People on the Move . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
AviTrader MRO - January 2019

It’s Time for a Conversion
Your Best Choice for

Smart-Value Conversion Programs
Our technologically advanced passenger-to-cargo conversions
have made us world leaders in the field.
We hold leading aviation authorities' (such as FAA, EASA, CAAC
& CAAI) Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for:
B737 - 300BDSF / 300BDQC / 400BDSF / 700BDSF
B747 - 400BDSF
B767 - 200BDSF / 300BDSF
STCs under development for: B737-800BDSF
Under Consideration: B777BDSF
www.iai.co.il • [email protected]
MRO and Production News 4
in the region. The scope of the collaboration

is to jointly develop conceptual and industrial
cabin designs for private jets. Together, the
partners will deliver bespoke, luxurious and
sophisticated cabins for esteemed private
jet owners. HAECO PJS is the first and only
Airbus-approved and Boeing-licensed cabin
completion center in Asia Pacific. It offers a
complete range of solutions from industrial
design, engineering design and certification,
to cabin completion.
AeroVision International signs ERJ

parts support agreement with East-
ern Airways
AeroVision International has signed a long-
term component spares and exchange agree-
ment with UK-based Eastern Airways. The
ERJ 145
Photo: C&L Aviation Group
parts support agreement provides Eastern
Airways with access to an extensive inventory
of components used to support their fleet of
C&L Aviation Group signs service cluding slats, flights, spoilers, ailerons, eleva-
tors, wing-to-body fairings, engine fan cowls, ERJ aircraft. Parts will be forward-positioned
agreement with Embraer Nether- at Eastern’s maintenance facilities throughout
lands thrust reversers and overhead bins on the
following aircraft types - B737, B757, B767, the UK and France and Bristow Helicopters
B777, and A320 & A330-Series aircraft. maintenance facility in Nigeria, supplied from
C&L Aviation Services, a C&L Aviation Group
AeroVision’s distribution center located at
company, has signed an Aircraft Maintenance
London Heathrow Airport and the main Logis-
Service Agreement with Embraer Netherlands
tics Center located in Muskegon, Michigan.
(ENL) (which is responsible for the asset man-
agement of the Embraer commercial aircraft
HAECO Privat Jet Solutions signs “AeroVision’s team is focused on developing
portfolio), to perform heavy maintenance, collaboration agreement with Eight a support model tailored to our organisation.
Partnership This, along with their large ERJ inventory posi-
interior refurbishment, paint, and other ser-
tioned regionally, were key factors in our deci-
vices on the pre-flown ERJ 135/145 aircraft
HAECO Private Jet Solutions (HAECO PJS), sion to select AeroVision as our partner,” said
which they refurbish and remarket to their op-
HAECO Group’s private jet cabin comple- Tony Burgess, Managing Director of Eastern
erator customers. C&L expanded into the ERJ
tion specialist, has entered into a collabora- Airways. “It was important for us to choose
135/145 market two years ago and now of- tion agreement on private jet cabin designs a partner who could align with our specific
fers a full range of services from maintenance with Eight Partnership (Eight), one of Asia’s business needs, and willing to adapt as our
and inspections, aircraft painting and interior leading design firms, with a diverse portfolio business grows. Supported in-region by Aero-
refurbishment, to teardowns and aircraft re- in luxury markets, including ultra-high-end Vision’s Regional Director, Gary Jones, gives
cords management. C&L also provides parts hospitality and luxury residential real estate us the attention and focus that’s required.”
support, power-by-the-hour programs, com-
ponent repair services and aircraft transac-
tions for the ERJ 135 and ERJ 145 aircraft.
Eirtech composite repair approval

extended to Belfast facility
Eirtech Aviation Services, headquartered in
Shannon Airport, Co. Clare has extended its
EASA Approved Part 145 Maintenance Or-
ganisation Approval Certificate (IE.145.074)
to include its Composite Repair Centre at Unit
8-10 Pinebank, Queens Road, Belfast, North-
ern Ireland. Eirtech Aviation Services can now
perform composite repair at the Belfast facility
in accordance with capability listing MOE 1.9
and also issue an EASA Form 1 on site. Eirtech
Aviation Services’ Part 145 Approved Mainte-
nance Organisation offers composite repair AeroVision International and Eastern Airways sign ERJ parts support agreement
on C6, C8 & C20 Rating Components in- Photo: AeroVision

and integrated plant within Airbus. The green

field production unit will start by manufactur-
ing mechanical parts that will then be deliv-
ered to the major component assembly center
for dynamic parts to be fitted on to the various
helicopters of the Airbus range that are oper-
ated in more than 150 countries worldwide.
The agreement will also rely on a local supply
chain being qualified to perform certain tasks
such as surface treatment. Hungary has been
a long-standing supporter of Airbus’ civil and
military products, which found a home in a
wide range of defense and civil applications.
SR Technics and VAS Aero Services ex-

Eastar Jet Boeing737MAX pand materials supply program with
Photo: Eastar Jet
the addition of airframe components
Lufthansa Technik to supply compo- efficiency, in order to best operate our air- MRO service provider SR Technics has signed
nents for 737 MAX of Eastar Jet craft. The launch of this Global Maintenance an eight-year partnership with one of the af-
Agreement signed with ATR is one step further termarket’s leading suppliers, VAS Aero Ser-
Korean low-cost carrier Eastar Jet has con- in the bonds of trust that unite us.” vices. Under the agreement, VAS will provide
tracted Lufthansa Technik to supply compo- aircraft components exchange and repair ser-
nents for its new fleet of Boeing 737 MAX vices for SR Technics involving multiple Airbus
aircraft. With six aircraft currently on order, and Boeing fleets. The new partnership marks
Eastar Jet will receive its first two 737 MAXs Airbus and Hungary sign long-term
industrial partnership the first major material supply partnership
by the end of 2018, with the remaining four
with a non-OEM company for the SR Tech-
aircraft following in mid-2019. Similar to the
Airbus Helicopters and Hungary have signed nics’ business unit Component Services. By
support for the airline’s Boeing 737NG fleet,
a Memorandum of Agreement to create an covering service-level guaranteed exchange
the new Total Component Support (TCS®)
industrial cooperation for long-term aviation services, repair services, and leasing services,
agreement includes component maintenance
projects that will initially focus on the pro- the collaboration will enable SR Technics to
as well as spare parts leasing through a com-
duction of certain high-precision mechanical continue to provide cost-effective and reli-
ponent pool at Eastar Jet’s headquarters at
parts for helicopter dynamic systems. This able solutions to its airline customers. VAS
Gimpo International Airport in Seoul. Like-
project is part of the ‘Zrinyi 2026’ armed has been supporting SR Technics in engine
wise, the airline will be granted access to the
forces development program supporting services for several years. The expansion of
corresponding spare parts pools at Lufthansa
Hungary’s national security goals of devel- their collaboration into the Component Ser-
Technik.
oping independent defense capabilities. The vices business aims to leverage the strengths
agreement intends to create a sustainable of both companies.
Braathens Regional Airlines starts

optimal fleet management with ATR
Global Maintenance agreement
The Swedish airline Braathens Regional Air-
lines, BRA, started the implementation of its
new ATR Global Maintenance Agreement
on January 1, following the signature of this
milestone agreement with ATR in June 2018
that further strengthens the strong relation-
ship between the two companies. Covering
Braathens Regional Airlines entire ATR fleet of
ten ATR 72-600s, this customized full-service
package covers repair, overhaul and pooling
services of Line Replaceable Units (LRUs), and
transportation of LRUs to the airline’s facili-
ties. The contract is for a period of five years.
After the commissioning of the GMA for the
Braathens Regional Airlines ATR fleet, Chris-
tian Clemens, the CEO of Braathens Regional
Airlines, declared: “With a large fleet of ATRs,
we must be able to benefit from the most SR Technics and VAS Aero Services sign eight-year partnership agreement
suitable services, with responsiveness and Photo: SR Technics

The CFM56 and LEAP engines
you need, when you need them.
Spare engine programs customised
to your individual requirements.
The CFM56 and LEAP engine specialists. Go to www.ses.ie
SES is a wholly owned subsidiary of CFM International

the 2013 and 2017 editions of the Dubai

Airshow.
AEI receives Transport Canada

approval for CRJ200 SF
Aeronautical Engineers (AEI) has received
Transport Canada approval for the AEI
CRJ200 SF passenger-to-freighter con-
version. The Transport Canada approval
(SA18-130) allows for the operation of Ca-
nadian registered CRJ200 SF freighters. AEI
received the original FAA STC for the CRJ200
SF at the end of 2016 and in May of this
year received EASA approval. Currently,
AEI has over 45 firm orders and commit-
ments for the freighter. Since certification,
AEI has delivered 10 CRJ200 SFs and will
redeliver the 11th overall later this month.
The AEI CRJ200 SF provides a payload of up
to 14,574 lbs. (6,611 kg), depending upon
the specific aircraft model. The conversion
Rolls-Royce and MEA sign TotalCare® contract comes with a large 94” x 70” Main Cargo
Photo: MEA
Door and with an ANCRA Cargo Loading
Rolls-Royce signs TotalCare® contract tiate the process for LEAP-1A maintenance System capable of carrying (8) 61.5” x 88”
for MEA aircraft activities. TAP has been a CFM customer Containers/Pallets, P1 to P8.
since 1990, operating a large fleet of A320
As part of its wide-body fleet renewal, the aircraft family. In 2016, the airline ordered
Lebanese carrier Middle East Airlines – Air 79 LEAP-1A engines to power its new fleet
Liban (MEA) has decided to purchase four of 37 Airbus A320neo/A321neo aircraft UAE-based avionics provider Falcon
new and two option Airbus A330-900neos and took delivery of the first three aircraft Aviation Services joins Honeywell’s
powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 en- earlier in 2018. global channel partner network
gines due to deliver in 2021. Rolls-Royce
has signed a contract with MEA to provide Honeywell has confirmed United Arab Emir-
support for the Trent 7000 engines power- ates-based Falcon Aviation Services as a
ing its new Airbus A330-900neo fleet. The flydubai renews agreement with member of its global channel partner net-
contract covers long-term engine main- Joramco work. The agreement covers the sale, instal-
tenance services, throughout the opera- lation and service of Honeywell avionics for
Joramco, the Amman-based MRO and the Middle East-based helicopter operators. The
tion of the engine with MEA, the purchase
engineering arm of Dubai Aerospace En- arrangement between the two companies will
of spare engines and supply of parts. The
terprise DAE, and flydubai have success- augment the avionics service and upgrade
contract was signed during the Lebanon-UK
fully renewed an agreement to provide the options available to regional helicopter op-
Business and Investment Forum in London.
carrier with heavy maintenance solutions erators by offering a more localized repair
Rolls-Royce will deliver the latest engine in
for its fleet of Boeing 737 aircraft. Under and installation for Honeywell equipment at
its Trent range, the Trent 7000, along with
this agreement Joramco will perform up to Falcon Aviation Services’ Abu Dhabi-based
its flagship TotalCare® support service. The
45 C checks and EIS checks from January facilities. This will allow faster turnaround
Trent 7000 is part of the Trent family that
2019. In addition, Joramco will perform time for maintenance, repair and overhaul
has now accumulated more than 125 mil-
avionics and cabin modifications includ- activities, which in turn can reduce helicopter
lion engine flying hours.
ing broad-band modifications. “In the past downtime. There are currently 1,536 govern-
five years, Joramco has played an impor- ment or military-owned helicopters in opera-
tant role in our operations by fulfilling our tion in the Middle East, with an additional 202
TAP Portugal signs GSLA for CFM MRO requirements,” said Mick Hills, Sen- commercial helicopters in private ownership
LEAP-1A engines ior Vice President, Engineering and Main- across the region. The channel partnership
tenance at flydubai. “We look forward to between Falcon Aviation Services and Honey-
Portugal’s national carrier, TAP, and CFM seeing our partnership strengthen with this well will see an improvement to the services
have signed a General Support License latest agreement as our fleet continues to available to these operators. Honeywell’s
Agreement (GSLA) for maintenance activi- grow.” Dubai-based flydubai has created a Channel Partner Program offers a concierge-
ties of LEAP-1A engines. Under the terms network of more than 85 destinations and level service to its members, including dedi-
of this agreement, TAP Portugal becomes over the next decade the airline will see its cated sales and marketing support, exclusive
part of the maintenance, repair and over- fleet grow by up to 296 aircraft. It currently access to technical experts, tailored product
haul (MRO) network for LEAP-1A engines operates a single fleet-type of 58 Boeing training, and other incentives, including inte-
and will also benefit from CFM’s expertise 737 aircraft. The airline placed the largest gration and installation of Honeywell’s latest
in training. This GSLA will allow TAP to ini- single-aisle aircraft orders in the region at technologies.

States advanced another step on January

16, in Mobile, Alabama, as construction of
the company’s A220 Manufacturing Facil-
ity officially launched with a groundbreak-
ing ceremony. The assembly line will satisfy
the strong and growing U.S. demand for the
A220 aircraft, the newest offering in Air-
bus’ commercial aircraft product line. The
new assembly line, which is the company’s
second U.S.-based commercial aircraft pro-
duction facility, will be located at the Mobile
Aeroplex at Brookley adjacent to the A320
Family production line and will facilitate as-
sembly of A220-100 and A220-300 aircraft
for U.S. customers. Aircraft production is
planned to begin in Q3 2019; with first de-
livery of a Mobile-assembled A220 aircraft
scheduled for 2020. The new A220 produc-
tion facilities will be complete by next year.
Jet Aviation presents 20 IS-BAH™ Stage 2 Safety certificates Airbus has strong and longstanding ties to
Photo: Jet Aviation the United States, with Airbus aircraft being
operated by the largest airlines in America.
Jet Aviation receives IS-BAH™ Stage nent Repair Group, Structures Division com- Additionally, Airbus is a major partner of U.S.
2 Safety Registration for 20 FBOs at mented “We are excited to partner with Leon- aerospace companies and workers. In the
MEBAA ardo to service Embraer E170 & E175 inlet last three years, Airbus spent US$48 billion
and fan cowls as an OEM authorized service in the United States with hundreds of U.S.
Jet Aviation has received International Stand- center. Leonardo’s quality products, combined
suppliers in more than 40 states, translating
ard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH™) with HEICO’s emphasis on customer satisfac-
into Airbus support of more than 275,000
Stage 2 Safety Registration from the Interna- tion, ensures the highest level of support for
American jobs. Among its facilities in the
tional Business Aviation Council (IBAC) for 20 our shared airline customers. HEICO’s com-
U.S., Airbus has: engineering centers in Kan-
of its FBOs across EMEA and the Americas. mitment to service, and Leonardo’s excep-
sas and Alabama; a major training facility in
The company intends to achieve IS-BAH™ tional product design, provide operators with
Florida and soon one in Colorado; materi-
Standard registration for its new Hawker Pa- a foundation for greater fleet control and con-
als support and headquarters in Virginia; an
cific and KLM Jet Center FBOs in 2019. IBAC tinued operation.”
A320 Family assembly line delivering aircraft
Program Director for IS-BAH™, Terry Yeomans,
in Alabama; an innovative think tank (A3) in
presented 20 IS-BAH™ Stage 2 Safety Cer-
California; a drone-data analysis business
tificates to Jet Aviation at its MEBAA chalet in
Construction begins on Airbus’ U.S. (Airbus Aerial) in Atlanta, Georgia; helicop-
Dubai. “This remarkable achievement demon-
strates Jet Aviation’s ongoing commitment to A220 manufacturing facility ter manufacturing and assembly facilities in
the highest safety standards for its customers Texas and Mississippi; and a satellite manu-
and employees,” said Yeomans. Based around Airbus’ manufacturing growth in the United facturing facility (OneWeb) in Florida.
a safety management system that models
the structure and format of the International
Standard for Business Aircraft Operators (IS-
BAO™), IS-BAH™ establishes criteria for best
handling systems, processes and practices to
ensure FBOs meet rigorous safety and security
standards.
Leonardo S.p.A selects HEICO Com-

ponent Repair Group as authorized
repair center
HEICO Component Repair Group (Structures
Division), a subsidiary of HEICO Corporation
has been selected as an authorized service
center. Under the agreement, HEICO Com-
ponent Repair will perform modification and
repair and overhaul of Embraer 170 and 175
fan cowls and air inlets (inlet cowls) by Leon-
ardo S.p.A, the manufacturer of these parts. Groundbreaking ceremony in Mobile, Alabama for A220 manufacturing facility
Vladimir Cervera, VP/GM of HEICO Compo- Photo: Airbus

Bedek started the B767-300BDSF conversion

program, in partnership with Mitsui of Japan,
under which over 60 aircraft have already
been converted – most of them for ATSG, with
the 767-300BDSF conversion program con-
tinuing at full steam ahead.
Magnetic MRO provides aircraft for

fight against terrorism
Tallinn-based Total Technical Care partner
Magnetic MRO has completed a teardown
project for an Airbus A320 aircraft which
will be used for fight against terrorism in
Germany by special forces. Magnetic MRO
obtained the aircraft after an emergency
landing in Tallinn at the start of 2018. In co-
operation with a Netherlands partner organ-
An agreement between FADEC Alliance and Lufthansa Technik ensures global availability for LEAP engine controls ization, XTRAPartners, the airframe found its
Photo: FADEC way to the German Bundeswehr for training
of its special forces. The teardown project
FADEC Alliance signs agreement IAI’s Bedek Aviation Group and took place over a course of a few weeks
with Lufthansa Technik ATSG celebrate 70 full freighter in Tallinn Airport where the aircraft had its
conversions stabilizers and both wings removed. The air-
FADEC Alliance, a joint venture between GE
craft was transported to Calw, near Stuttgart,
Aviation and FADEC International, has signed IAI’s Bedek Aviation group has concluded the
a 25-year agreement with Lufthansa Technik with five large trucks and in addition to care-
70th full freighter conversion for Air Transport
to provide Full Authority Digital Engine Con- Services Group. Over the past 25 years the ful maneuvering in Estonia and Germany, it
trols (FADEC) availability services for LEAP en- cooperation of the two companies unfolded also involved marine transport from Paldiski,
gines globally. Lufthansa Technik and FADEC to encompass a major part of the global P2F Estonia to Lübeck, Germany. “We had done
Alliance will use the engine controls for sup- conversions market. Bedek performed DC-8 teardown projects before but nothing of this
port agreements, loans and exchanges across short-to-long duct pylon modifications and scope,” stated Maksim Kolesnik, Facility and
their global airline customer bases to bring a JT8 engine overhauls and QEC components, Tooling manager of Magnetic MRO. “The
full selection of asset management services to and Bedek participated in the conversion pro- logistics of the teardown and especially the
the commercial transport industry. The agree- gram of B767-200 Passenger-to-Package- transport provided huge challenges, but af-
ment covers asset management, logistics and Freighter configuration, which was followed ter months of hard work we were successful
maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) by the 767-200BDSF Passenger-to-Special- in delivering an aircraft that will now be used
support. Lufthansa Technik will manage a Freighter (SF) conversion program. In 2009 for a good cause.”
global pool of line replaceable units (LRU) in
order to provide availability to both Lufthansa
Technik and FADEC Alliance airline custom-
ers. Lufthansa Technik will establish a certi-
fied repair station in Hamburg, Germany for
the LEAP FADEC. FADEC Alliance will provide
technical support from the FADEC Alliance
MRO network located in Massy, France and
Fort Wayne, Indiana. LEAP engines equipped
with FADEC Systems are used on Boeing 737
MAX, Airbus A320neo and COMAC family
919 aircraft. The FADEC – consisting of digi-
tal computers, called engine control units and
a pressure sub-system – controls all aspects of
aircraft engine performance, such as engine
fuel flow and variable engine geometries.
Both parties will use the pool to support their
customers for loans and exchanges of LEAP
FADECs, to provide high availability and high
performance asset services, and to maximize
efficiency for airlines. The LEAP engine is a
high-bypass turbofan produced by CFM In-
ternational, a 50-50 joint venture company Magnetic MRO completes teardown project for an Airbus A320
between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines. Photo: Magnetic MRO

11,212 components, 50 landing gears and

41 engines were processed, while 2,515 en-
gine washes were conducted. In China, the
sector expanded its airframe maintenance
portfolio when its Guangzhou facility obtained
approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of
Malaysia to carry out base maintenance for
the A320neo platform.
Delta TechOps continues to grow

MRO business with major invest-
ments
In 2018, Delta TechOps continued to invest in
and grow its Maintenance Repair and Over-
haul business, resulting in record-breaking
financial growth, expanded capabilities, in-
3D printing
creased work with new partners and contin-
Photo: Liebherr Aerospace ued work with current partners. As the largest
aviation maintenance group in North Ameri-
Liebherr-Aerospace Starts serial pro- nance services to its A321s for the first time. In ca, Delta TechOps highly skilled workforce of
duction of 3-D printed components addition to airframe maintenance, the same over 10,000 technicians, engineers and other
North American airline also awarded a con- support employees provide full-service main-
Liebherr-Aerospace has begun printing 3-D tract for an in-seat power supply, overhead tenance to more than 850 Delta aircraft and
components for Airbus. Following approval bin and galley modification program for its their engines as well as maintenance services
from the European aircraft manufacturer, first entire suite of 48 A320s. ST Engineering con- to more than 150 other operators, cargo
equipment fit for flight that Liebherr will be tinues to win multi-year contracts as it main- operators and the military & government,
supplying will be nose landing-gear brackets tains the confidence of repeat customers with through the airline’s MRO business. Looking
for the Airbus A350 XWB. Liebherr has col- high-quality redeliveries. Multi-year contracts forward to 2019, Delta TechOps will open
laborated intensively with Airbus over the past won in 4Q2018 include a five-year compo- the largest test cell, which will be capable of
few years and development of additive manu- nent maintenance-by-the-hour contract ex- safely running a mounted, stationary engine
facturing is advancing at a fast pace. These tension to support an Asian airline’s entire at full power with 150,000 pounds of thrust.
brackets will be the first ever introduced Air- fleet of B737NG/MAX aircraft. The Aerospace Through expanded capabilities and new fa-
bus systems parts to be qualified for printed sector redelivered a total of 213 aircraft for cilities, Delta expects to grow the top line of
titanium. In the fall of 2017, Liebherr-Aero- airframe heavy maintenance and modifica- the MRO business by US$1 billion a year in
space Lindenberg GmbH, Liebherr’s center of tion work in 4Q2018. Additionally, a total of the next five years.
excellence for flight control systems, landing
gears, gears and gearboxes, has reached a
key milestone: authorization by the German
Federal Aviation Office (Luftfahrtbundesamt,
LBA) to produce components using additive
manufacturing. Liebherr has since been print-
ing Class 2 and Class 3 titanium serial parts,
delivering them under EASA Form 1.
ST Engineering’s Aerospace arm

secures contracts worth S$450m in
4Q2018
Singapore Technologies Engineering (ST En-
gineering) has reported that its Aerospace
arm has secured new contracts worth about
S$450 million in the fourth quarter (4Q) of
2018 for services including maintenance and
modification for wide-ranging aircraft parts
from the airframe to components. A number
of new contracts secured in 4Q2018 are for
airframe heavy maintenance checks to ser-
vice both commercial aircraft and private jets.
These include a contract from a major North Delta TechOps employees below a wing
American airline to carry out heavy mainte- Photo: Delta

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AND
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TPAEROSPACE.COM
Airflow Solutions receives EASA Part- tic Airways’ four Airbus A330-200 aircraft. Component Support (TCS®) services for the
145 approval The cabin received a complete makeover with carrier’s Airbus A350 fleet. For a period of ten
brand-new business class suites unique to the years the new contract covers the majority of
Airflow Solutions has received European A330-200, the addition of premium economy Japan Airlines’ Airbus A350 components. The
Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Part-145 ap- class, re-pitched economy class seats, newly contracted services include maintenance, pro-
proval. Under the certificate, the company is fabricated carpets, an upgraded IFE sys- grams for reliability monitoring and enhance-
now fully authorized to perform repairs on all tem, and modified lavatories. The successful ment as well as logistic services. Currently JAL
items within their Operation Specifications. completion of this prototype marks another holds 31 firm orders and 25 options for the
Airflow Solutions provides expert level services achievement in HAECO Xiamen’s partnership state-of-the-art long-range jet. With the new
in a wide variety of metal and composite re- with Virgin Atlantic, following cabin modifica- agreement, Japan Airlines and Lufthansa
pairs. These include bonding, solid laminate tion programs for the airline’s Boeing 747- Technik continue to expand their successful
repairs, metal-to-honeycomb repairs, metal- 400 and Airbus A330-300 fleets. relationship which already includes a variety
to-metal repairs, AOG support, and painting. of MRO services. Among others, Lufthansa
Technik has been providing TCS® services for
Japan Airlines’ Boeing 787 fleet since 2011.
Lufthansa Technik and JAL expand
HAECO Xiamen performs cabin re- partnership on Total Component
configuration for Virgin Atlantic Support services
HAECO Xiamen, a member of the HAECO Lufthansa Technik and Japan Airlines (JAL)
Group, has successfully completed cabin have expanded their trusted partnership by
modification work on the first of Virgin Atlan- entering into a long-term agreement on Total
Finance News
€2.3 billion ordinary share buyback program to run over the two
years following completion of the tender offer for Zodiac Aerospace
shares. To date, Safran has already contributed 11.4 million shares
to its program for a total of €1.22 billion. On January 10, Safran
entered into an agreement with an investment service provider for a
follow-on repurchase tranche. According to this agreement, Safran
will acquire up to €600 million worth of ordinary shares no later
than May 10, 2019. The average price per share will be determined
based on the mean volume-weighted market price observed during
the entire duration of the agreement. The unit price may not exceed
the maximum of €140 per share set by the November 27, 2018
shareholders’ meeting. (€1.00 = US$1.15 at time of publication.)
TurbineAero Asia Operations Team Photo: TurbineAero Woodward reports fiscal year 2018 results
TurbineAero acquires APU piece part repair business Woodward has reported financial results for its fiscal year 2018 and
from Triumph Group fourth quarter ending September 30, 2018. Net sales were US$719
million for the fourth quarter of 2018, an increase of 19% from
TurbineAero, a portfolio company of The Gores Group, has acquired the fourth quarter of last year. Organic net sales, which exclude
the APU piece part repair product line (RPL) from Triumph Aviation sales of US$78 million attributable to the acquired L’Orange busi-
Services Asia. The acquisition of this business segment integrates ness, were US$641 million, an increase of 6% from the prior year
APU piece part repair into the APU Systems MRO in TurbineAero’s fourth quarter. Net earnings were US$75 million and adjusted net
Asia facility which increases in-house capabilities, improves turn- earnings were US$89 million, compared to US$62 million for the
times and assures extra cost reduction. Effective immediately, the in- fourth quarter of the prior year. Adjusted EBIT was US$120 million,
tegration will take place in TurbineAero Asia’s new Thailand-based compared to US$93 million for the prior year fourth quarter. Net
80,000 ft² facility which will house up to 250 employees and will sales were US$2.33 billion for fiscal year 2018, an increase of 11%
handle high-technological testing, maintenance, repair and over- compared to the prior year. Organic net sales, which exclude sales
haul activities for aircraft components and systems for its worldwide of US$103 million attributable to the acquired L’Orange business,
customers, including APU MRO, LRUs and APU part repair.
were US$2.22 billion, an increase of 6% compared to the prior year.
Net earnings were US$180 million and adjusted net earnings were
US$246 million compared to US$201 million for the prior year. Ad-
Safran share buyback program justed EBIT was US$326 million, compared to US$278 million for
the prior year. Net cash provided by operating activities for 2018
On May 24, 2017 Safran announced its intention to implement a was US$299 million, compared to US$308 million for the prior

Finance News 14
year. Free cash flow was US$172 million for 2018, compared to Works also closed a US$300 million debt facility. The facility was led
US$215 million for the prior year. by Bank of America, N.A. (as Structuring Agent and Joint Lead Ar-
ranger), with BNP Paribas and Royal Bank of Canada acting as Joint
Lead Arrangers. SkyWorks’ portfolio of assets under management is
now over 60 aircraft, after having sold more than 180 aircraft on
SkyWorks grows global platform with aircraft equity behalf of clients in the past five years.
vehicle
Building on the success of its global platform, in 2018 SkyWorks
Holdings (SkyWorks) significantly expanded its investment and asset The Carlyle Group agrees to buy StandardAero from
management businesses while simultaneously increasing its com- Veritas Capital
mitment to the advisory business. SkyWorks has established a dedi-
cated aircraft servicing platform, SkyWorks Leasing (Ireland) Limit- The Carlyle Group, a global asset manager, has agreed to pur-
ed, in its Dublin Ireland offices. In addition, SkyWorks created a new chase StandardAero, the global provider of aftermarket engine
equity vehicle, Sierra Echo Aircraft Leasing Limited (Sierra Echo), maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services for the aero-
for whom SkyWorks Leasing (Ireland) Limited will act as origination space and defense industries, from Veritas Capital, subject to cus-
agent, servicer and asset manager. The launch of this aircraft vehi- tomary regulations. While financial terms have not been disclosed,
cle further reinforces SkyWorks’ commitment to its global aviation the equity will come from Carlyle Partners VII, an US$18.5 billion
clients by expanding the suite of services that SkyWorks now offers. fund that focuses on buyout transactions in the United States. The
SkyWorks launched Sierra Echo during 2H 2018, acquiring through transaction is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of
four transactions a total of eight Airbus and Boeing commercial jet 2019.Founded in 1911, StandardAero is one of the world’s larg-
aircraft on lease to five different operators in North America, Eu- est independent MRO providers offering extensive services and
rope and Asia. Sierra Echo’s anchor investor is a large institutional custom solutions for commercial aviation, business aviation, mili-
investor aiming to conservatively grow its investment in commercial tary and industrial power customers. As an OEM-aligned strategic
aviation with the benefit of SkyWorks’ origination, servicing, and partner, StandardAero has developed a reputation for quality and
analytical capabilities. To leverage Sierra Echo’s investments, Sky- performance. Russell Ford, CEO of StandardAero, said, “We are
New Year....New OEM Partners!

STS Component Solutions is proud to announce its newest OEM partnerships with
organizations Esterline CMC Electronics, Curtiss Wright and Magee Plastics!
Avionics Systems Sensors & Controls Cabin Interior Components
To learn more about STS Component Solutions' complete portfolio of OEM product
lines and support capabilities, contact the OEM Distribution Team today!
Tel: 1-888-777-2960 • Intl: 001-561-214-6508 • Live AOG: 1-888-8STSAOG • Email: [email protected]

Finance News 15
excited to partner with The Carlyle Group, and we thank Veritas of the group alongside the Group’s senior executives, Jean Marc
Capital for its support and partnership. We look forward to work- Schaefer, Gilles Foultier, Philippe Delisle and Fabrice Dumas, who
ing with Carlyle to further our aggressive growth trajectory as we are all continuing in their positions.
continue providing world-class services to our customers as one
of the world’s best and largest independent MRO service provid-
ers.” Adam J. Palmer, Managing Director and Global Head of
Aerospace, Defense and Government Services for The Carlyle Bombardier confirms it remains on track to achieve its
Group, said, “Russell Ford and the StandardAero team have built 2020 financial objectives
a reputation for industry-leading capabilities and customer service.
Bombardier has released its 2019 business unit guidance and con-
StandardAero is well positioned in an attractive market and we look
firmed that it remains on track to achieve its 2020 financial objec-
forward to building on its strong foundation by helping it grow and
tives. The 2019 guidance reflects the anticipated closing of the sale
meet evolving customer needs.” Credit Suisse, RBC Capital Markets
of both Business Aircraft’s flight and technical training activities and
LLC and Macquarie Capital served as financial advisors to Carlyle,
the Q Series aircraft program as of September 30, 2019. For 2019,
and Latham & Watkins LLP served as legal advisor. Credit Suisse,
Bombardier is targeting revenues of US$18 billion or more, repre-
Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division, RBC Capital Markets
senting a year-over-year increase of approximately 10% over 2018
LLC, Macquarie Capital, Barclays, Jefferies LLC, Nomura Securities
guidance. This growth is expected to be driven by: the entry-into-
and Goldman Sachs have agreed to provide debt financing for the
service of the Global 7500 aircraft, which is sold out through 2021;
transaction. Goldman Sachs & Co. served as lead financial advi-
execution on Bombardier’s strong US$34-billion rail backlog, which
sor to StandardAero, and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC also acted as
covers more than 80% of Transportation’s targeted 2019 and 2020
a financial advisor on the transaction, and Skadden, Arps, Slate,
revenues; and an increased focus on aftermarket services across the
Meagher & Flom LLP served as legal advisor.
portfolio. Aftermarket revenues are estimated to grow from approxi-
mately US$3.5 billion in 2018 to approximately US$4.0 billion in
2020 as the Company continues to optimize its aftermarket and ser-
STS Aviation Group selects Greenbriar Equity Group as vices operations, leveraging its large installed base which includes
new equity partner over 100,000 rail cars, more than 4,700 business jets and approxi-
mately 1,250 regional jets. Profitability is anticipated to grow faster
STS Aviation Group, a leading global aviation solutions com- than the top line and is expected to be driven by solid conversion on
pany, has selected Greenbriar Equity Group, L.P. (Greenbriar), a revenue growth and the strategic reshaping of Commercial Aircraft.
New York-based private investment firm, as its new equity partner. EBITDA before special items is targeted to grow by approximately
STS provides a range of solutions to the global aviation industry, 30% over 2018 guidance to a range of US$1.65 billion to US$1.80
including component sales and distribution, workforce manage- billion, while EBIT before special items is targeted to increase by
ment, engineering services, line maintenance, and aircraft repair approximately 20% over 2018 guidance to a range of US$1.15 bil-
and modifications. The company is well-known for its breadth of lion to US$1.25 billion. From a free cash flow perspective, 2019 is
capabilities and customer-centric approach to helping airlines and expected to mark the transition from a heavy investment cycle to a
aircraft operators meet their critical operational and people require- strong growth and cash generation cycle. Sustainable capital expen-
ments worldwide. ditures are projected to decrease to approximately US$800 million
or less on an annualized basis, which represents a decrease of ap-
proximately 50% from the previous five-year average. On a normal-
ized basis, before one-time items, Bombardier estimates free cash
TAT Group enters into exclusive negotiations with Sa- flow in the range of US$250 million to US$500 million for 2019.
gard, BPI France and Towerbrook funds for acquisition One-time items that are expected to impact free cash flow in 2019
of Sabena technics’ capital include; a US$250-million charge for the previously announced
restructuring; and a working capital contingency of US$250 mil-
TAT Group has entered into exclusive negotiations with the invest-
lion largely associated with the intense ramp-up of the Global 7500
ment companies Sagard, Bpifrance and TowerBrook in order to
program. Free cash flow including these one-time items is targeted
sell them its majority interest in its subsidiary Sabena technics, one
to be breakeven plus or minus US$250 million, resulting in an esti-
of the European leaders in the field of aircraft maintenance and
mated cash on hand exceeding US$3.0 billion by year end. Along
modification. This project was presented on December 17, 2018
with announcing its 2019 business unit guidance, Bombardier reaf-
to all Sabena technics Group’ s works councils. The sale should be
firmed its 2020 objectives of revenues in excess of US$20 billion,
finalized during the second quarter of 2019, subject to the com-
EBITDA before special items over US$2.25 billion, EBIT before spe-
pletion of this procedure and the approval of the supervisory au-
cial items over US$1.6 billion and free cash flow between US$750
thorities. This shareholder evolution will be an important step for
million and US$1 billion. In addition to generating strong cash flow
Sabena technics’ development by reinforcing its growth opportuni-
from operations, Bombardier anticipates ending 2020 with strong
ties while accompanying it in the successful implementation of its
liquidity, including more than US$3.5 billion of cash on hand and a
strategic plan which aims at a turnover of €600 million (US$678
significantly improved leverage ratio.
million) in 2021. This development will also give the Group sig-
nificant resources to expand its offer through external growth, with
the constant goal of better serving its customers using skills or lo-
cations that complement its own. TAT Group will remain a minor- Ardian in talks to acquire majority stake in Revima
ity shareholder and its current chairman, Rodolphe Marchais, will
take over the presidency of Sabena technics’ supervisory board. Ardian, a private investment house, has confirmed that it is in ex-
Philippe Rochet will become the executive CEO and shareholder clusive talks to acquire a majority stake in Revima, a leading MRO

Finance News 17
(Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) solutions provider for aircraft requirements, including the fiscal year results). During the event in
equipment, from private equity firm Argos Wityu. Following the New York, Embraer also presented its guidance for the year 2020,
transaction, Olivier Legrand, President of the Group, and Argos the first year after the potential closure of the operation creating the
Wityu will reinvest alongside Ardian. This transaction is subject to strategic partnership between Embraer and Boeing in Commercial
approval from the antitrust authorities as well as the opinion of the Aviation, as mentioned above. The guidance presented for 2020
works council. Founded in 1952, Revima is an independent com- includes 100% of the expected results of the Executive Jets and De-
pany which has become a leader in the maintenance, repair and fense & Security segments (and the results of their respective ser-
overhaul of commercial transport aircraft equipment. The group is vices and support businesses) and exclude expected financial results
well-known for its expertise in the maintenance of auxiliary power coming from the 20% stake Embraer will have in the Commercial
units (APU) and landing gears for regional, medium- and long-haul Aviation JV in partnership with Boeing. Embraer expects to have
aircraft. The company, which has c.750 employees, realized reve- net revenues of between US$ 2.5 billion and US$ 2.8 billion, EBIT
nues of more than €280 million (US$319 million) in 2018, showing margin of between 2% and 5%, and roughly breakeven free cash
double digit growth for several years. flow for 2020.
Embraer presents preliminary forecast for 2019 and Aireon signs US$200 million credit facility with
2020 Deutsche Bank
On January 16, Embraer presented its preliminary forecast for Aireon has signed a credit facility agreement for US$200 million
2019 and 2020 at a meeting with investors at the New York Stock with a group of several independent investor funds, led by Deutsche
Exchange. For 2019, Embraer expects to deliver between 85 and Bank. This credit facility provides Aireon with the resources to fund
95 commercial jets, 90 to 110 executive jets, including light and various company initiatives and to continue to pay Iridium for the
large jets, 10 A-29 Super Tucano aircraft and two multi-mission KC- costs related to the integration, launch and hosting of the AireonSM
390 aircraft. Total consolidated revenues should be between US$ payload on each of the 81 Iridium® NEXT satellites.
5.3 billion and US$ 5.7 billion. The Company expects to achieve The agreement was signed on December 21st, 2018. This an-
a consolidated EBIT margin of breakeven (approximately zero) for nouncement comes just days after the final launch of Iridium NEXT
the year 2019. It is important to highlight that 2019 guidance in- satellites and their Aireon hosted-payloads.
cludes potential costs and expenses associated with the creation of The eleven long-term contracts signed with its launch Air Naviga-
the Commercial Aviation JV in a strategic partnership between the tion Service Provider (ANSP) customers have provided Aireon with
Company and Boeing, under the terms of the associated material a strong financial foundation. Aireon has already started paying
facts published by Embraer. With the finalization and closure of the the US$200 million hosting fee owed to Iridium, and this new credit
partnership operation described above, tentatively expected to occur facility has enabled the company to pay another US$35 million in
by the end of 2019, Embraer anticipates a capital structure without 2018 for a total of US$43 million to date.
leverage, with a net cash position of approximately US$ 1.0 billion
after the payment of a special dividend to shareholders of roughly
US$ 1.6 billion (which remains subject to the confirmation of certain
Information Technology
Aircraft maintenance provider Bournemouth Aviation Services has

transformed the efficiency of its operations thanks to its new manage-
ment system, Centrik. Handling all maintenance and repair of Pilatus
PC-12 aircraft for parent company Jetfly, Bournemouth Aviation Ser-
vices turned to Centrik at the start of 2018 to streamline its operational
procedures, adding a more structured, centralized way of tracking and
evidencing all MRO processes. ICAO and EASA-compliant, Centrik
provides Bournemouth Aviation Services with a way to replace its re-
liance on paper trails and various separate computer programs in
favour of a fully-integrated solution capable of managing every opera-
tional element. Centrik’s cloud-based architecture puts a complete op-
erational picture at the finger-tips of those who need it, from wherever
they are. All information is stored on Centrik’s own, ultra-secure data-
As an authorized Pilatus center, Bournemouth Aviation centres and is instantly accessible via any browser or tablet. The system
Services uses Centrik to manage the maintenance and
repair of Pilatus PC-12 aircraft for parent company, Jetfly is completely portable and can be used even when offline. Based on a
Photo: Bournemouth Aviation Services modular system, Centrik can also provide full management of safety,

Information Technology 18
risk, workflows and meetings, as well as compliance and training, the event was to facilitate networking and exchange of experience
which can build a comprehensive overview of all findings, providing within the AMOS Community as well as to inform attendees about
visible heatmaps and KPIs that quickly and easily demonstrate how all the latest AMOS developments and the enriched service portfolio.
regulatory compliance requirements are being met. Centrik will also
monitor the training records of every staff member, providing full over-
sight of all training activity, highlighting when training currency may
be about to expire and providing a way to effortlessly create a tailored
course, all within the system.
Photo: Emirates Flight Training Academy
Aviation engineering and maintenance company Commsoft has

Air Madagascar selects ADSoftware MRO IT solution signed a contract for its MRO IT system, OASES. The deal was
Photo: ADSoftware
signed with the recently launched Emirates Flight Training Acad-
emy (EFTA), located at custom-built premises at Al Maktoum In-
ADSoftware has announced its collaboration with Air Madagas- ternational Airport in Dubai. OASES has been supporting the pres-
car and its subsidiary, Tsaradia. The contract covers the complete tigious flight training academy which began operations in Dubai
fleet of 10 aircraft (Airbus A340-300, Boeing 737-800 NG, ATR72- South in November 2017. The contract covers five key modules
500, ATR72-600 and TWIN OTTER). Maintenance and procurement of the OASES system: core, airworthiness, planning, inventory and
personnel will be using the software on a daily basis to manage production. These have been implemented on Commsoft’s private
all aspects of maintenance operations. Air Madagascar joins AD- cloud for optimum security and customer care. EFTA recently re-
Software’s growing customer base in the region. The move is part ceived its CAR M Subpart G continuing airworthiness management
of a complete redesign of Air Madagascar’s IT systems and a sig- organization and CAR 145 maintenance organization approvals
nificant step towards operations optimization. The combination of (ref CAMO/0007/18 & UAE.145.0073) from the UAE General Civil
Airpack’s technology and Air Madagascar’s MRO know-how will Aviation Authority which allows EFTA to manage and carry out the
improve time saving and cost efficiency while giving Air Madagas- maintenance on the aircrafts in-house. OASES support is being pro-
car’s management valuable insight into maintenance activities. gressively rolled out across the fleet of twenty-two Cirrus SR22 G6
With Customer including Air Austral (Air Madagascar’s partner) aircraft and five Embraer Phenom 100EV Very Light Jets that are
and Corail Helicopter, ADSoftware increases its presence in the re- being used to train cadets in EFTA’ s ab-initio flight training pro-
gion. ADSoftware’s expertise in handling data migration was a key gramme.
factor in Air Madagascar’s decision. Years of maintenance activi-
After a common and shared journey with Swiss-AS, Evergreen
ties will be transferred to the new system via exclusive processing
Aviation Technologies (EGAT) has successfully accomplished
tools developed locally. As part of the startup service, ADSoftware’s
its go-live with AMOS. EGAT, as the key development partner of
maintenance data experts visited on-site to elaborate a tailored and
Swiss-AS for the AMOS MRO Edition, has significantly influenced
efficient implementation plan.
the realization of the advanced AMOS MRO functions. Therefore,
implementing AMOS at EGAT was not just “another” project for
Swiss-AS. It was the beginning of a strategic partnership, which al-
In 2018, Swiss-AS welcomed 12 new customers to the AMOS lows Swiss-AS – in cooperation with EGAT – to complete the AMOS
Community, amongst them Ural Airlines, Kuwait Airways, LIAT, MRO Edition and thereby fulfil the functional requirements of the
Bamboo Airways, Lufthansa German Airlines and Air Tahiti global MRO business segment. EGAT, as a renowned MRO provider
Nui. Though the new customers have different backgrounds, rang- with an extensive in-field experience, was the perfect fit to accom-
ing from start-ups, CAMO organizations up to MRO providers and pany Swiss-AS in this major development project. The AMOS MRO
established airlines, they have all chosen AMOS as their perfect Edition has been available since the end of 2017 and offers MRO
fit. With the offer of four different AMOS editions, airlines, airline providers a fully-fledged MRO solution covering the specific needs
groups, CAMO organizations and MRO providers of all sizes can in- of their maintenance activities. For a timely realization of the new
dividually select the AMOS edition that best supports their business Edition, Swiss-AS allocated a substantial amount of resources to
scope. With Lufthansa German Airlines joining the AMOS Commu- build up a dedicated and interdisciplinary project structure and pri-
nity, Swiss-AS now equips all carriers in the Lufthansa Group with oritized MRO specific functions on the development roadmap. The
AMOS. One highlight of the year was the AMOS Customer Confer- new functions have been well received by the AMOS Community, as
ence that took place in October in Lucerne, Switzerland. Over 250 well as by the market. AMOS has been enriched by new modules
delegates attended the conference with customers and partners including Facility/Hangar Planning, Ground-time Management, Fi-
representing 92 companies from all over the world. The goal of nance and Production Control Dashboards, CRM and an in-depth

Information Technology 20
Quotation/Contract Management. EGAT and nine other MRO com- nance Control module at a later date. All modules will be accessed
panies in the AMOS Community had actively participated in scop- through Commsoft’s Private Cloud service, avoiding any need for
ing workshops for the new functions and shared their expertise and the airline to invest in new hardware.
knowledge gained in their daily work as MRO providers. This valu-
able input, gathered in the early development phases and based on
the in-field experience of EGAT, provided a significant contribution
to the successful development of the AMOS MRO Edition. FLYdocs, the aviation data and records management solution pro-
vider, has signed a 5-year contract with Swiss airlines, SWISS and
Edelweiss Air, who will use the FLYdocs® platform for the ongoing
management of their maintenance and engineering records across
Polish MRO organization, WZL2 (Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze Nr 2 their entire respective fleets of 90 and 15 aircraft. The FLYdocs®
S.A.), has chosen OASES, Commsoft’s MRO IT system, to support its platform provides a centralized cloud-based digital replica of all
developing commercial operations. With more than 70 years’ experi- aircraft technical records – right back to birth. That means, once
ence of repairing, modernizing and servicing complex fighter-bomb- uploaded into FLYdocs®, the millions of paper records, combined
ers and fighter aircraft for the armed forces of the Republic of Poland, with electronic documents often distributed in different formats
WZL2 is now approaching civil aviation customers with Bombardier around most aviation organizations, are now instantly available
Q400, ATR 42 and ATR 72 turboprop airliners, Embraer E-Jet airlin- in useable, industry standard formats to support business-critical
ers and ultimately Boeing 737NG aircraft. OASES, with its technical operations, such as verifying airworthiness compliance, and air-
sophistication allied to an intuitive user interface, is structured in a craft sales and transitions. The Airlines, which are also users of
modular format to provide maximum flexibility and scalability. WZL2 MRO software AMOS, are set to be the first organizations to benefit
has selected the Core, Airworthiness, Planning, Materials, Production, from significant operational efficiencies and cost savings from FLY-
Commercial and Warranty modules which will be implemented ini- docs®’ holistic approach to data management, as the platform has
tially through Commsoft’s Private Cloud service. an exclusive integration with AMOS, and its advanced functionality
is enriched further by live feeds from the ATA e-business specifica-
tions, Spec 2500.
MJet GmbH of Austria has become the first ACJ319 operator to

sign up for Skywise, enabling it to integrate its own operational,
maintenance and aircraft data into the Skywise platform. MJet will
store, access, manage, and analyze selected Airbus data together
with its own data and global benchmarks without the need for ad-
ditional infrastructure investments. This service will provide MJet
new insights at aircraft, company and global level while allowing it
to enhance its operations by improving operational reliability, re-
ducing operational interruptions and identifying efficiencies, cost
savings and enhanced revenue opportunities. MJet will share its
Airbus operating-data and in return access the platform to benefit
from other A319 operators’ aggregate aircraft reliability fleet data.
MJet will also work with Airbus to further develop product and sup-
port services specifically for ACJ operators. Skywise provides all
users with a single access-point for their enriched data by bringing
together aviation data from multiple sources, across the industry,
into one secure platform. The more data that airlines share into the Robot Controlled Cockpit Electronics Testing, RoCCET
Photo: LHT
Skywise platform, the more accurate the predictions and models for
all connected. All data is anonymized to ensure data confidential-
ity. More than 190 Airbus Corporate Jets are in service around the Lufthansa Technik AG has developed the first robot for fully auto-
world, flying on every continent, including Antarctica. mated tests of cockpit controls. The test procedure is called RoC-
CET, which stands for Robot Controlled Cockpit Electronics Test-
ing. In the future, RoCCET will be used to check the functionality
of LED lights and switches on the basis of concrete, standardized
Commsoft has released that Spanish airline Albastar has cho-
measurement data. The robot-based procedure is currently in the
sen to support its airline operations with OASES, Commsoft’s MRO
integration phase. The robot has integrated sensors to measure
IT system. Albastar is a privately owned Spanish airline, founded
the forces that occur when switches are activated. In addition, it is
in 2010 by Italian and British entrepreneurs from the tourism and
equipped with several industrial cameras with which it captures all
transport sectors to provide on-demand flight services in collabora-
display instruments and any outer damage. With another camera,
tion with major Spanish, Italian and other European tour opera-
it measures the brightness of all displays from various angles. The
tors. Based in Palma de Mallorca, Albastar operates mainly char-
robot is thus able to check all switches and LEDs just as well as a
ter flights from its principal bases of Palma de Mallorca, Milan
human and perform defined functional tests. The robot-based test
Malpensa and Milan Bergamo, as well as seasonal services from
procedure will initially be used for cockpit controls on Airbus A320
Lourdes. The fleet to be supported by OASES will initially include
and A350 as well as Boeing 787 aircraft. In the future, its use may
four Boeing 737-800 aircraft. Renowned for its technical sophisti-
also be extended to other cockpit and cabin controls on all aircraft
cation as well as its intuitive user interface, OASES is structured in a
types at various locations.
modular format to provide maximum flexibility and scalability and
Albastar has opted for the Core, Airworthiness, Materials, Planning
and Production modules with an option to add the Line Mainte-

Other News 21
TAG Aviation UK receives renewed accreditation to the Wyvern Wingman Standard safety program Photo: TAG Aviation
TAG Aviation (UK) has successfully re- aviation parts industry with GoDirect™ Trade aims to build stronger connections
ceived renewed accreditation to the Wy- Trade. The new e-commerce platform between buyers and sellers. For example,
vern Wingman Standard safety program will improve access to new and used air- buyers and sellers can directly contact one
following a rigorous on-site safety audit craft parts for airlines, air transport and another via the platform, streamlining the
conducted by Wyvern. The Wingman business aviation customers by offer- process to ensure both parties are satisfied
Standard is globally acknowledged as the ing transparent pricing and the option to with the exchange. As with similar websites
industry’s benchmark in aviation safety buy inventory directly from its website — in other industries, online reviews of both
and reflects a commitment to current avi- a first-of-its-kind experience. “GoDirect buyers and sellers are encouraged.
ation best practice and the highest level Trade represents an evolution in our mar-
of safety and protocol. Wingman-certified ket and, being backed by a major equip-
operators must successfully pass a Wing- ment manufacturer, brings the confidence
man audit which demands transparency HAECO Xiamen, a member of the HAE-
we need to be one of the early adopters,”
with respect to safety records, operational CO Group, has signed a collaboration
said Thomas Noonan, director of material
history and operating procedures, pilot agreement with Xiamen City University
and part sales, StandardAero Total Air-
experience, established training prac- (XMCU). The agreement formalizes co-
craft Spares. “This technology will help
tices and a close evaluation of critical operation between the two organizations
propel the aviation industry forward into
programs such as the Safety Manage- in developing talented individuals for the
the realm of other e-commerce sites that
ment System and Emergency Response aircraft maintenance industry.
many of us use each day without a second Students who enroll in the joint XMCU-
Plan. Safety is one of TAG Aviation’s core thought.” Previously, buyers looking for
values and successful completion of the HAECO Xiamen program will receive
aviation parts such as avionics, auxiliary basic skills training in aircraft mainte-
Wingman Standard audit is an assur- power units and more would have to call
ance to customers, industry partners and nance at the HAECO Xiamen Technical
numerous companies, wait days or even Training Centre over the course of their
employees of the on-going commitment weeks to price a part, and risk buying from
to maintain the highest standards at all three-year academic studies at XMCU.
a company that did not have the inventory This will give them exposure to the aircraft
times. “We are proud to have had our
immediately in stock. On GoDirect Trade, maintenance industry and upon gradua-
prestigious Wyvern Wingman status re-
Honeywell is using blockchain technology tion, students will receive higher diplomas
newed. It is a hugely important endorse-
to ensure every listing includes images from XMCU and training certificates from
ment within the business aviation industry
and quality documents for the exact part HAECO Xiamen. The integrated program
and underpins our investment in provid-
being offered for sale, giving the buyer will fast-track the process of developing
ing best-in-class service and operations”,
confidence about purchasing the part. In high-quality aircraft maintenance me-
said Patricia Davis, Head of Compliance
addition, every part on GoDirect Trade is chanics by six months. The partners will
and Safety, TAG (UK).
immediately available for sale and ship- continue to refine the program’s curricu-
ping. There is no need to wait days or even lum, assessment criteria, and develop stu-
weeks for the seller to confirm availability. dent recruitment plans.
Honeywell is bringing the ease of eve- Building upon experience from the Honey-
ryday online buying and selling to the well Aerospace Trading business, GoDirect

Other News 22
City Colleges of Chicago and AAR have

announced the new Aviation Futures
Training Center to train students in avia-
tion sheet metalworking. AAR, a global
leader in aviation aftermarket services,
will partner with Olive-Harvey College
to prepare students for in-demand jobs
in aviation, heavy manufacturing, boat-
ing, automotive repair, and HVAC. The
Center will launch in March 2019 as
an extension of Olive-Harvey College’s
Transportation, Distribution and Logistics
(TDL) Center. The aviation sheet metal-
working course prepares graduates for
the CertTEC Certification with 300 hours
of instruction and hands-on training with
sheet metal from airplane fuselages. The
Center will also expand its program of-
fering to include composite repair. Stu-
dents will receive training on how to work
with this lighter and stronger material,
which is increasingly used in industries
such as aerospace, transportation, con-
City Colleges of Chicago and AAR announce the new Aviation Futures Training Center Photo: AAR struction and more.

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& SUPPLY CHAIN
MANAGEMENT SEMINAR
19 - 20 February 2019, Palma de Majorca, Spain
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www.everestevents.co.uk www.avitrader.co.uk
CFM56 Maintenance
24
CFM56 -
Keeping the blades turning
Shop visits will peak for the CFM56-5B and -7Bs in the next two to five years.
Photo: Aero Norway
The CFM56 is one the most iconic engines in commercial aviation. Keith Mwanalushi checks in
on the key MRO issues.
T
here is no doubt the CFM56 is the world’s best-selling jet engine. ever other work is taking place,” declares Holger Beimfohr, Senior
With more than 30,000 engines delivered to date, CFM data Manager Customer Accounts at MTU.
shows the engine type powers more than 550 operators world-
wide across the single-aisle 737and A320 family platforms. Alex Marom, Director, Engines MRO, IAI Aviation Group, Bedek MRO
Division says the reduction in the inspection intervals of the CFM56-
Over the years, the CFM56 has seen several continuous improvement 7B fan blades has led to increased demand on the limited number of
programmes and service bulletin’s issued to operators. In April 2018 a parts repair vendors and therefore increased TATs for those repairs.
Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-700 experienced a very serious inflight “We have had to compensate for that by acquiring rotable fan blades,
engine failure and following that event the FAA issued a new Airworthi- which are in short supply on the market.”
ness Directive (AD) requiring airlines inspect more CFM International
CFM56-7B engines. Magellan’s asset managers and product support team actively track
ADs and SBs issued by the various regulatory authorities and OEMs
CFM responded by issuing a Service Bulletin (SB) to operators of respectively. “The monitoring of ADs and SB embodiments applies to
CFM56-7B engines, which power the Boeing Next-Generation 737. both owned incoming assets and as Magellan does not have any inter-
CFM called for inspections of fan blades on long-service engines- nal repair function, we ensure that any ADs or SBs are adhered to by
there are approximately 14,000 CFM56-7B engines in operation. our network of approved repair vendors,” says David Rushe, Director,
Sales and Marketing – Europe.
As a result of the Southwest
incident, the FAA and EASA is- Nevertheless, Rushe says the
sued several ADs and further FAA AD had an impact on Ma-
revisions are expected. This gellan’s business in that the
means that all CFM56-7 fan accumulated cycles on the fan
blades with more than 20,000 blades on one of their leased
cycles need to be removed and -7B engines were applicable
undergo an ultrasonic inspec- as they had over 30,000 flight
tion. cycles since new. “At the time, it
was quite challenging to locate
“Some airlines carry this out a team to perform the inspec-
themselves with their own tion required within the time-
equipment, we support others frame specified by the OEM,”
with our on-site services, and he admits.
of course, if an affected engine
Holger Beimfohr, Senior Manager Customer
is in the shop, we carry this Similarly, James Bennett, Direc- Alex Marom, Director, Engines MRO, IAI Avia-
Accounts, MTU work out in addition to what- tor – Sales and Marketing at tion Group, Bedek MRO Division.

CFM56 Maintenance 25
IAI has had the opportunity to use PMA parts and DER repairs.
Photo: IAI
AerFin observes the trend with their MRO partners and says they now global MRO scenario for licensed CFM products in the future. “It is
need to outsource the fan blade repairs to GKN, Snecma or TCI in or- intended that this decision improves flexibility at exchanges in engine
der to have the ECI inspection carried out – a factor of the 7B manual shops, but quality must be considered even deeper than before. These
repair which came about as a direct result of the Southwest fan blade policies will increase inspection workload in production, and the same
failure. GKN is consequently opening a new facility in Malaysia to for spare parts from vendors.”
cope with the increasing demand for fan blade repairs and inspection
of the fan blade root. Fan blade pricing is also now at an unprec- As an independent MRO, IAI has had the opportunity to use PMA parts
edented high, due to airlines having to make sure their fleets’ engines and DER repairs prior to the change in CFMI policy. “However, usage
comply with the 2018 directive issued by the FAA. of non-OEM approved parts and repairs has been on a very limited
scale as it is mostly with CFM56-3 engines and with a very small num-
In July, CFM released 41 pages ber of customers,” indicates Marom. He says there is a very limited
of “conduct policies”, broadly availability of DER repairs and high value PMA parts for CFM56-5B
saying its service licenses and and CFM56-7B engine types, which are now the large majority of the
warranties do not discriminate CFM56 shop visits.
against use of so-called PMA
parts or DER repairs in engines. Marom adds: “In addition, a large majority of the shop visits are now
With the policies, some CFM- leased engines. Lessors are much more hesitant to utilise non-OEM
licensed shops could begin sell- parts and repairs due to their concern that it will lower the value of the
ing non-CFM-approved parts engine. Therefore, in the current constellation, we do not see that the
and repairs, while independent new CFMI policy will have a large impact on our customer’s decisions
shops could align closer with regarding PMA and DER usage.”
the engine maker.
Filip Stanisic, Magnetic MRO’s Head of Engine Management argues
“One would like to think that that the policy will make it easi-
this would have a positive im- er from a technical point of view
pact on the industry,” Bennett but commercially it will stay the
James Bennett,Director – Sales and Marketing,
AerFin feels. He reckons it could be same, and that the commercial
good news for parts providers and independent MROs providing them problem was always bigger
with additional material sources and alternative repair options to sup- than the technical one – “we do
port their customer base. “We could also see an increase in competi- not think that the situation with
tion for MRO work as a result. This network expansion could alleviate DERs and PMAs will change,
pressure on shop visit capacity constraints that the entire market is maybe slightly change but will
facing right now. not bring anything significant in
the market.”
“However, with over 40% of the world’s fleet now owned by leasing
companies, they will need to buy into the agreement and agree to Stanisic sees the PMA market
fit DER and PMA material into their engines. Only then will we see a shrinking comparing to what it
significant impact on the industry.” was some 5+ years ago and
there are no signs of some new
Mariano Longo, CBO at Aeroset thinks the decision could change sizeable PMAs on the horizon. Mariano Longo, CBO at Aeroset

CFM56 Maintenance 26
He says the situation with new will help to cover spare engine
DERs is a bit better and there needs during those repairs,” he
are more of them under devel- says.
opment, but he still feels it will
not bring much impact to the Rather than the lease market
market. having an impact on MRO,
Beimfohr from MTU feels this is
Eric Mendelson, Co-President, more the other way around. He
HEICO Corporation feels en- reckons, as of today high MRO
couraged. “We applaud the activity is creating a demand for
spirit and goal of an open, com- lease engines.
petitive aftermarket for parts
and services and look forward “MRO slot capacity is currently
to its effective implementation,” very tight worldwide as a result
he says. of various market forces, includ-
Eric Mendelson, Co-President, HEICO ing older engines being flown Filip Stanisic, Magnetic MRO Head of Engine
Corporation. Proper enactment of the agree- longer and new generation Management
ment will provide the airlines engines entering shops earlier
more choice and alternatives for FAA/EASA approved parts and/or ser- than expected.”
vices to better meet their needs, he tells. “This is a first step to stop and
reverse the longstanding restrictive practices by engine manufacturers Furthermore, Beimfohr anticipates shop visits will peak for the CFM56-
that have resulted in higher costs for the industry and, therefore, the fly- 5B and -7B engine families in the next two to five years. “The strong
ing public. IATA, the airlines, and suppliers will closely watch the imple- MRO demand for these engines also corresponds to high demand for
mentation and results, and expect similar policies and practices will be spare engine support while these engines go through the shops. Our
adopted by other OEMs.” - The IATA-CFM Pro-Competitive Agreement leasing arm MTU Maintenance Service Lease Services B.V. has been see-
On Engine Maintenance. ing significant growth since inception in 2014 and is experiencing strong
demand for spare CFM56 engines. Furthermore, tight slot capacity can
It’s estimated that growth in the CFM56 engine leasing market is go- increase the time before induction and in turn, extend the lease periods.”
ing to continue for possibly at least another five years before the peak.
Seemingly, this trend will have an impact on MRO activities. The estimated growth in the CFM56 engine leasing market for at least
five years also ensures that the CFM56 MRO market will continue to get
There is typically a tipping-point in terms of serviceable spare engine trad- stronger and remain strong for the foreseeable future. “We see a severe
ing values coming to a point where they fall below the cost of a heavy shortage of MRO capacity and slots for engine inductions,” warns Mar-
shop visit or overhaul for that engine, considers Rushe. “We saw this play om from IAI. He explains this is especially the case since there are not
out with the CFM56-3 engine in the early part of this decade and it is quite many new players entering the CFM56-5B and CFM56-7B MRO mar-
prominent across widebody legacy engines in more recent years.” ket, while established MROs are moving their resources to the LEAP and
GTF engines and thus reducing their capacity for CFM56 shop visits.
Rushe notes the CFM56-5C en-
gine is a perfect example in that Marom sates: “This increases the pressure on the remaining MROs, such
serviceable engines can be ac- as IAI, but also presents new opportunities for growth into new markets.
quired for sub-$1m whilst car- We are increasing our capacity for CFM56 in the short term to cover the
rying a heavy shop visit cost of sharp increase in work, while for the long term we are planning for the
approx. $2m. This type of sce- LEAP and GTF to ensure our long-term sustainability and expansion.
nario, he says, is still some way
off for the CFM56-5B/7B mod- As part of the growth in the leasing market, IAI has significantly in-
els, which is a good indicator of creased its profile in this market and its pool of lease engines. “These
sustained leasing demand. are used both to support our customers during shop visits of engines
at IAI and as stand-alone leases. We have opened a separate business
Short-mid-term lease demand is unit for engine lease and trade, which also trades in aircraft and engine
buoyant and will remain so until parts,” he adds.
well into the 2020s with MRO
demand following suit, he con- IAI have recently signed a long-term agreement with a major Chinese air-
tinues, adding that what is likely line for CFM56-3 engines. Also, they have new agreements with Mexican
David Rushe, Director, Sales and Marketing -
Europe at Magellan to happen in the early 2020s is and South American airlines for CFM56-5B and CFM56-7B engines, in
that there will be reduced shop visit builds compared to engines being addition to extensions of previous long-term agreements with other major
built to 8k+ cycles to go as is the case nowadays. operators in Europe and the Americas for these engine types.
“A note of caution would be recent indicators of a possible slowdown in Over at MTU, last year announced a CFM56-7 contract with Regent Air-
passenger growth in tandem with a wider global economic paralysis. ways, a Bangladeshi operator, and a CFM56-5B contract with Jazeera
This is likely to lead to some operator bankruptcies which may increase Airways from Kuwait as well as a CFM56-5B contract with VietJet from
the number of spare engines on the market,” Rushe analyses. Vietnam. Furthermore, MTU gained 18 new customers on this engine
type in total for 2018.
Stanisic from Magnetic is of the opinion that MRO activities will depend
on a number of engine removals due to engines needing repairs. “As
this number is growing – growth of spare engines available for lease

Industry Interview 27
In the hot seat.....

Karl Drusch, CEO True Aero
AviTrader MRO: How far has True Aero AviTrader MRO: What is the biggest trend
come since your first facility opened in you are seeing now in terms of airframe
Florida in 2013 and what has been the in- teardown?
dustry response since then?
Drusch: We’re seeing widebody aircraft re-
Drusch: TrueAero has matured extremely tired at higher rates than narrow body, push-
quickly since our inception; Not just in vol- ing the prices for the widebody airframes and
ume of business, but also in the sophistica- materials down, while the corresponding nar-
tion of our team and how we fulfil the needs row body prices remain firm. We’re also see-
of our customers. All lines of business—from ing our options for tear down facilities shrink,
Used Serviceable Materials [USM] to asset and among the facilities that remain, there has
management—are growing organically at been a push to make teardowns more ecologi-
healthy rates, so we have been able to invest cally friendly.
in technology and training for our people. It is
extremely rewarding to have built a company AviTrader MRO: What is your current strat-
capable of reaching forward and shaping the egy for mid to end-of-life services that will
future of our industry, and we have been hum- put True Aero ahead of the competition? Karl Drusch, CEO True Aero
bled by the level of trust that some of the big-
gest players in aviation have placed in us. Drusch: We have a world-class team, stream-
lined fulfilment, and excellent prices, so now Drusch: Absolutely, we still support A340
AviTrader MRO: What are your key our focus is on excellence in asset acquisition. operators. The demand for A340 material is
achievements since then? We have extremely solid financials, which al- buoyed by commonality with similar platforms,
low us to purchase large packages without fi- so we see the market remaining relatively flat
Drusch: We have offices in six countries nancing contingencies and with zero execution for the next 3-5 years before it starts to taper
around the world, we have deployed over $1 risk to sellers. Our partners care about timely off.
billion of capital, completed over 130 asset deal closures and white glove service, so that is
teardowns, and facilitated over 120 contracts. what we provide. AviTrader MRO: How is the engine busi-
ness progressing?
We have built an incredible team of technical AviTrader MRO: Are you still supporting
and business professionals that work well to- A340 operators and how are you seeing Drusch: The engine business is progress-
gether, are experts in their fields, and are ea- this market in the near and medium term? ing very well and continues to be our primary
ger to grow alongside TrueAero. revenue driver. Demand for assets is so high
that we’re seeing engines being rebuilt and
returned to service more frequently than ever,
driving up the demand for materials.
AviTrader MRO: Where do you see the

business going in 2019?
Drusch: We have set the stage for big moves in

2019. We have begun support for E-170/190s,
we will deploy at least $400 million, our growth
is fast yet organic and manageable, and our
investment in people is paying dividends. We
expect to see an increase in the number of as-
sets available for teardown and green lease as
well as an increase in mid-life assets available
for purchase. However, rising interest rates,
fuel prices, backlog, and passenger traffic will
prevent a flooding of the market in favour of
measured fleet changes and delivery delays to
offset retirements.
The name of the game in 2019 will be:

Choose deals wisely, do more for your cus-
tomers, and embrace change.
The team getting ready to ship an inlet cowl.

Photo: True Aero

Profile: Joramco 28
A transformational journey
Joramco is now a key MRO player in the market.

All photos: Joramco
J
oramco has evolved following the strategic acquisition by The hangars have recently been reinvigorated by introducing
Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) in 2016. During 2018 multiple changes including; Repainting of the hangars (Internal &
the company embarked on “Our Transformation Journey” External) with the new corporate colours, Improved lighting levels,
which is part of a continued focus on a newly launched New white resin floor coverings, Hangar 1 was modified to allow
commitment to excellence theme. additional wide body access, while more efficient use of space in
hangars 2 and 3 saw an additional narrow body aircraft slotted in
In line with the vision of the new majority owner, Dubai Aero- around a wide body, increasing total slots from 12 to 15.
space Enterprise (DAE), and in order to provide best-in-class
quality services to customers, multiple transformation projects
have been initiated across the entire company. These changes
have taken effect and have allowed Joramco to improve the ser-
vice offering and enhance the ability to meet and exceed cus-
tomers’ expectations.
Recently, Joramco has obtained the Jordanian Civil Aviation

Authority (JCARC) and FAA approval for Boeing 787 C checks,
with the most recent addition being EASA Boeing 787 approval.
Joramco has also added 737 MAX approval to complement its
existing NG/Classic. Joramco is also a Boeing Gold Care base
maintenance partner for 737 MAX and 787 and will soon add
777 approval, with the first aircraft due to arrive during this
year. In addition, the A320neo and LEAP-1A capability will be
added soon. The company was acquired by Dubai
Aerospace Enterprise in 2016.

Profile: Joramco 29
There are multiple transformation projects in the works.
Ground support equipment is being upgraded, with new passen- Elevated Work Platforms and a Safety Management System has
ger door access steps and 737 access platforms already in use just been launched.
and all access stands have been replaced by equipment from
UK-based Semmco. A mobile inflatable shelter has been ac- A major change has seen the introduction of a second shift sys-
quired, which increases efficiency of check planning by allowing tem in order to gain efficiencies in the available hours per day
paint applications to be carried out on nacelles without having whilst recognising the importance of both human factors and
to stop other work on the aircraft. Safety standards have been work/life balance.
raised with new fall arrest systems from WinGrip and Mobile
Furthermore, Joramco continues to invest in its people and train-
ing. Joramco’s in-house Academy which has run 51 courses
in 2018, with 5,000 training hours for 952 employees. These
range across type ratings, regulatory requirements and safety
awareness. Leadership training courses will start next year.
In order to make the company more customer focused; the en-

trance to the facility has been completely remodelled to house
a customer support centre, with individual offices for customer
airline representatives. It sits alongside a relocated commercial
department, to help maintain close customer links.
This transformation was showcased during Joramco’s participa-

tion at various exhibitions and industry events during the last
year and the feedback from Industry has been exceptional.
Refurbishment of the facility.

Cargo conversions 30
Cash
converters
The freighter fleet will grow by more than
70% over the next 20 years.
Photo: Ameco
The passenger to freighter conversions market continues to boom, some aircraft types are experienc-
ing feedstock limitations while others are seeing a revival due to e-commerce trends AviTrader MRO
looks at the market.
A
ccording to experts at Boeing, in the next 20 years, 2,650 As for the recent Chinese delivery, Koster says Vallair, highlights the fo-
freighters are forecast to be delivered, with approximately cus on leased cargo converted assets as it follows a controlled growth
half replacing retiring aircraft and the remainder expanding strategy. “Vallair takes a long-term view with regards to its Chinese
the fleet to meet projected traffic growth. portfolio, we are carefully building a fleet of Boeing and Airbus com-
mercial aircraft that will form the bedrock of our cargo conversion
With air cargo traffic more than doubling in the next 20 years, the programme. As these mature aircraft come to the end of their opera-
Boeing analysis shows that world freighter fleet will grow by more than tional lease agreements, we are extending the life of these assets in the
70%, from the current 1,870 to 3,260 aircraft. More than 63% of most economically beneficial way through our cost-effective conver-
deliveries will be freighter conversions, of which nearly 70% will be sion programme.”
standard-body passenger types. Also, growing demand for regional
express services in fast developing economies will boost the standard- Key to the growth strategy at Vallair is the A321. Vallair sees huge
body share of the freighter fleet from 37% today to 39%. potential in the A321 P2F, not only as a replacement of the B757F, but
as a key tool for the cargo industry to achieve the projected growth
Vallair, with its MRO facility in Montpellier in Southern France is par- rate of the air freight market in general – driven by express services
ticularly strong in the narrowbody conversions market. In November and e-commerce. The A321 P2F will be the first aircraft to introduce
last year, the company completed delivery of their first B737-400F to
Guangdong Longhao Aviation Group of China. The aircraft was con-
verted at Gameco in Guangzhou under a PEMCO STC.
The aircraft is one of several Boeing 737 aircraft that Vallair has pur-
chased for cargo conversion, and the first Vallair B737-400 to be con-
verted at Gameco’s facility. Vallair has already converted other 737-
400s with AEI and PEMCO. “Basically, we deliver turnkey solutions for
airlines that do not want to undertake the conversions by themselves
or may not have the capabilities to do So,” states Peter Koster, Head of
Cargo Conversions at Vallair.
Looking ahead, it’s clear that the -400, as popular as it might be for
cargo conversion, will see availability levels dry up. “Yes, indeed, this is
a feedstock driven business – we may see some aircraft that we would
consider for conversion but frankly speaking its getting more difficult
to find spares and more difficult to find the right feedstock,” Koster
Demand for the 757-200 converted freighter business is growing.
affirms. Photo: Ameco

Vallair has delivered several 737-400 converted freighters.

Photo: Keith Mwanalushi
a containerised lower deck to the market segment of narrow body Thomas Centner, Director Sales Aircraft Conversion at EFW tells AviT-
freighters: a significant game changer for any hub and spoke opera- rader MRO that the A330P2F is certified and in production ramp up.
tion, the company indicates. “We have re-delivered both prototype A330-200P2F and –A330-
300P2F conversions on time, which was the outcome of extraordinary
Vallair has purchased several A321s and placed them on lease agree- team-achievements. There are three units flying and two more to be
ments with various operators to expand the cargo conversion portfolio. re-delivered to customers very soon.”
These aircraft will ultimately serve as ongoing feedstock for the com-
pany’s launch of the P2F cargo conversion programme. The very first A330-200P2F was handed over to Egyptair during the
summer of 2018 and went into operation by October following paint-
Staying in the Chinese market, Ameco Beijing developed its passen- ing and training activities by the carrier. “It has proven its freighter
ger-to-freighter conversion on the Boeing 757-200 in 2014 and com- capabilities during the first weeks and we are happy to highlight its
pleted its first conversion in May of that year at the three-bay hangar better than projected structural payload capability.”
in Chengdu. Air China Cargo, SF Airlines, China Postal Airlines were
added to Ameco’s conversion list and by the end of 2018, Ameco had Centner points out that the payload (structural) has increased by
completed conversions on twelve 757s. roughly 4t to approximately 63t. “We now hope to receive the same
positive post-conversion weighing results for the next units to come
Demand for the 757-200 converted freighter business is growing in to maximise the payload potential for our customers operations, and
Ameco, and the MRO specialist expects a continuous workload of ten finally to update our conservative marketing numbers.”
aircraft within the next two years.
Meanwhile, EFW have started the conversion of the A321 which will be
Clearly, feedstock levels for the 757 as with the classic 737s are num- followed by the first A320 conversion by end of this year. Both Airbus
bered and Ameco will be looking to the A321 programme too in addi- single-aisle P2F types will complement the A330P2F line-up.
tion to the 757s. Besides conversion, Ameco also supports repair and
overhaul of RB211 engines powering Boeing 757 aircraft. “All P2F family members will share the same technology, fly-by-wire
architecture and cockpit philosophy which is making this conversion
Observers note there are some A321s trickling in for conversion but family unique to the market in terms of commonality,” Centner ex-
very few available for sale or for trading. The industry expectation is plains. Whereas the A330P2F is more an evolutionary step based on
that when the programme matures, and the prototypes are delivered, its successful A300/A310 predecessors, it is a huge step forward in the
the market will provide the feedstock. And also, residual values are still narrowbody freighter market driven by the A321/A320P2F.
high for the A321 as the type is still very successfully operated by the
passenger sector. He adds the A321/A320P2F family for instance will be able to accom-
modate freight on two decks (main and lower deck) using container
Conversion specialists EFW, based in Dresden, Germany have been ULD’s which is all new to the market. “We believe this volumetric ca-
busy ramping up demand for their various passenger to freighter pro- pability will be game-changing and one of the key drivers for the suc-
grammes. cess of this aircraft family besides the basic aircraft efficiency and low
operating cost.”

The Dash 8 -100PF modification can take about 12 weeks.

Photo: Voyageur
Propelling regional freighters system, integrated roller floor options for bulk load or pallet load op-
erations, increased floor load capacity to 125 lb/ft2 (610 kg/m2), and
Due to the boom in e-commerce activity, the industry is seeing a revival provisions to support supernumerary crew members.
of the turboprop P2F conversion sector. Hawaiian Airlines for instance
are now deploying converted ATRs for all-cargo operations. He says Voyageur undertakes the conversion at its facility in North Bay,
Ontario, Canada. “The modification includes removal of all interior
Interestingly, the early Dash-8 models are also seeing an upswing in furnishings, all redundant systems and wiring, removal of the cabin
demand for conversion. windows, and the installations of the package freighter cargo com-
partment and related systems. The installation typically takes about
Eric van den Berg from Voyageur Aviation Corp in Canada feels the 12 weeks and can be combined with a comprehensive inspection of
Dash 8-100 is a proven rugged airframe with reliable and fuel-efficient the aircraft.”
engines. In addition, the Dash 8-100 has recently been approved for
an extended service programme that extends the life of the aircraft by Voyageur is looking at opportunities to expand expertise in cargo con-
up to 50%, up to 120,000 landings. These market advantages are versions to other aircraft models, Van den Burg anticipates. Voyageur
significant factors in aircraft selection for many carriers, he reckons. are content with the provisioning of our Dash 8-100 PF STC (which is
Transport Canada, EASA and FAA approved). “We feel this experience
The Dash 8-100 PF is designed to include a Class E cargo compart- has made us well suited to take on new design challenges for aircraft
ment separated from the crew areas. The weight and volume capaci- that fit other portions of the market, and we continue to closely monitor
ties are roughly 5,000 kilogrammes (11,200 lb) and 39 cubic meters market developments.”
(1380 cubic feet) respectively. Access for loading and unloading is
through a 1.27 x 1.52 m (50” x 60”) rear cargo door which sits ap-
proximately 1 meter (3.2 ft) from the ground. The cargo compart-
ment provides a comprehensive smoke detection / indication system,
crew-controlled ventilation shut off system, fire resistant liners, and is
separated from the crew areas by a fire / smoke barrier. Within the
compartment, a total of five 9G barrier nets are installed to separate
the cargo into zones and to prevent load shift in flight. Floor tracks are
included to allow for strap down attachments. Additionally, a timer ac-
tuated LED lighting system is installed to provide a luminescent cargo
compartment, while ensuring battery drain is minimised. Also, the
floor structure is reinforced to provide a 75 pound per square foot
rating (366 kg/m2) and the floor panels are covered with an anti-slip
coating to facilitate safe manual cargo handling.
Mr van den Berg explains that options can be installed to cater to

Barrier nets are installed to separate the cargo into zones in the Dash 8-100.
unique operations, including the installation of a fuel bladder restraint Photo: Voyageur

People On The Move 33
Effective January 1, 2019, Bruno Bergoend GA Telesis has announced the promotion of Alex Tuttle to Chief
has been appointed Senior Vice President, Operating Officer and Andreas Bauer, Ph.D., to Senior Vice Presi-
Airbus and ATR Programs at Safran and dent Operations, Logistics and Quality. Both positions will report to
Vice President, Public Affairs for the Occit- Jason Reed, President, Component Solutions Group (CSG). Bring-
anie region of France. He succeeds André ing over 22 years of aviation engine management and operations
Guiraud, who has retired, and reports to experience, Tuttle joined GAT in 2002 and has held several posi-
Stéphane Abrial, Senior Executive Vice tions of increasing responsibility, the most recent as vice president
President, International and Public Affairs. of the Engine Solutions Group (ESG). As COO, he will be respon-
Bruno Bergoend is now responsible for sible for oversight of all engine and airframe product line sales,
overseeing, coordinating and developing asset management & disposition, procurement, repair & repair
Bruno Bergoend
Safran’s business with Airbus. He is assisted management, as well as all flight hour program activities. Bauer’s
by Peter Detjen, previously at Zodiac Aerospace in Hamburg. experience in aviation operations management, inventory control,
logistics and quality control spans the greater part of 20 years, five
of those at GAT. With this promotion, he will expand his respon-
sibilities from his previous position as VP, Operations, Logistics &
Robert Clare, Director of Sales for Universal Avionics (UA), has an- Quality Control to include Quality Assurance and Facilities man-
nounced that Ms. Kim Stephenson has been appointed to the posi- agement under his realm.
tion of Regional Sales Manager, Canada. Stephenson is based in
Grand Rapids, Michigan USA and joins UA with over 20 years of ex-
perience in the aviation industry. Before joining UA, she held various
sales and business development positions at L-3 Aviation Products, Werner Aero Services has reported that Mr. Jerremy Gonzales
Mooney International Corporation, and Team Aircraft. Stephenson has joined its Singapore team as a Business Development Man-
holds a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics and is an Instrument Rat- ager to continue growing its Asia Pacific business. Gonzales has
ed Commercial Pilot. She has also served on the Board of Directors previously worked with major airlines and MROs in the region and
for the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA). possesses extensive knowledge and background in powerplant and
fleet management, particularly in the A320 and ATR platforms.
Gonzales will be responsible for developing new strategic busi-
ness in the Asian Pacific region as well as strengthening existing
AerSale, a global supplier of mid-life aircraft, engines, used service- customer relationships.
able material, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) ser-
vices, has promoted Basil Barimo, formerly Chief Operating Of-
ficer, to Chief Executive Officer, and Craig Wright, formerly Chief
Commercial Officer, to President, to facilitate rapid expansion of the Lease Corporation International (LCI), the
business. AerSale founder Nicolas Finazzo will serve as Executive aviation division of the Libra Group, has
Chairman and co-founder Robert B. Nichols will serve as Executive appointed Chris Lloyd as Vice President
Vice Chairman. “Unburdened from the responsibility of day-to-day Marketing. He will be based at LCI’s Singa-
management, Bob and I will continue to steer AerSale’s overall di- pore office, with responsibility for the South
rection and seek new synergistic acquisitions while we expand the East and North East Asian markets. Lloyd,
platform,” said Finazzo. “Barimo and Wright are fully capable of who joined LCI in early December, has 25
leading the operations of our highly integrated, multi-faceted busi- years’ experience in the international heli-
ness model.” In November 2018, the company announced its fourth copter market, with a proven track record
strategic acquisition of an MRO business with the purchase of Miami- in aircraft sales and leasing, working with
Christopher Lloyd
based component specialist Avborne. contacts across the globe and particularly
in the Asia Pacific region. He was previously Managing Director of
Lloyd Aviation Ptd – a helicopter and fixed-wing sale and brokerage
company, based in Singapore and offering consultancy and valua-
On January 1, 2019, Martin tion services across the Asian and Oceania regions.
Friis-Petersen took on the
role of Senior Vice President
MRO Programs at MTU Aero
Engines, heading up the sales Airbus has appointed Philippe Mhun as
and marketing organization Chief Programmes and Services Officer for
for MTU Maintenance. He Airbus Commercial Aircraft, effective Janu-
takes over from Leo Koppers, ary 1, 2019. Mhun, currently Head of Cus-
who is retiring after 16 years tomer Services at Airbus, will succeed EVP
with MTU. Koppers successor, Head of Programmes, Didier Evrard, who
Martin Friis-Petersen, has been retires around the turn of the year after 41
the Managing Director of MTU years associated with Airbus, 20 of those
Maintenance Lease Services in top management positions. Mhun will
B.V. since 2014. Friis-Petersen report to Guillaume Faury, who is due to
Philippe Mhun
Leo Koppers (r) and his successor
joined MTU in 1999 and has succeed Tom Enders as Airbus CEO follow-
Martin Friis-Petersen held various leadership roles ing the Airbus Annual General Meeting on April 10, 2019. Mhun
throughout the company, in- will also become a Member of the Airbus Executive Committee.
cluding as Chief Financial Officer of MTU Maintenance Zhuhai and
SVP MRO Operations at MTU Maintenance Hannover.

People On The Move 34
American Airlines announced that Kevin C&L Aerospace, a C&L Aviation Group company, has released that
Brickner, who currently serves as Vice Presi- Isham Salim has joined C&L Aerospace in the new position of Re-
dent of Safety and Operations Integration gional Sales Manager, Asia. Salim will lead sales and marketing
as well as the airline’s certificated Direc- activities in the commercial and regional airline segments for Asia.
tor of Safety, has been promoted to Senior Salim has more than 20 years of experience in the Asian airline mar-
Vice President of Technical Operations (Tech ket, most recently as managing director of Avia Singapore Aircraft
Ops). He takes over the role from David Parts (A.S.A.P.), an aircraft parts supplier. Prior to A.S.A.P. Salim was
Seymour, who was named Senior Vice Regional Sales Manager for Werner Aero Services Asia Pacific and
President of Integrated Operations in 2016. Marketing Manager for Aerospace Distributors Inc.
Brickner will be responsible for overseeing
Kevin Brickner
line and base maintenance; engineering,
planning and production support for airframes, engines and com-
ponents; and aircraft supply chain operations, among many other Panasonic Avionics Corporation (Panasonic Avionics) has appointed
responsibilities. American has promoted Capt. Ron Thomas to Vice Kimberly Chainey as its General Counsel. Chainey is a legal leader
President of Safety to assume Brickner’s previous position. and corporate generalist with over 15 years of experience advising
senior executives of Fortune 500 companies, venture businesses and
government entities. As chief legal officer and a member of the ex-
ecutive team, Chainey will advise Panasonic Avionics’ leadership on
Woodward has reported that Robert F. Weber, Jr., Vice Chairman and the company’s strategic direction. Her responsibilities will include
Chief Financial Officer, has announced his intention to retire effective overseeing legal issues, promoting a disciplined compliance culture
January 3, 2020, after more than 14 years as the CFO of the company. and analyzing legislation and its effect on the company. She will
As part of the company’s succession planning for the Chief Financial also manage commercial contracts and lead complex projects and
Officer role, Jonathan “Jack” W. Thayer, has joined the company transactions. Chainey will report directly to Jessica Hodkinson, the
as Vice Chairman, Corporate Operations, reporting to Mr. Gendron. General Counsel of Panasonic Corporation of North America (PNA)
Thayer will also be appointed to Chief Financial Officer on October 1, with a dotted-line reporting structure to Panasonic Avionics’ Chief
2019, the beginning of Woodward’s fiscal year 2020. Weber will then Executive Officer, Hideo Nakano.
transition into a senior consultant role supporting Gendron and the sen-
ior leadership team through his January 2020 retirement date.
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January 2019 - www.avitrader.

AviTrader MRO - January 2019

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Photo: Emirates Flight Training Academy

Aviation engineering and maintenance company Commsoft has

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MJet GmbH of Austria has become the first ACJ319 operator to

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City Colleges of Chicago and AAR have

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In the hot seat.....

AviTrader MRO: Where do you see the

Drusch: We have set the stage for big moves in

The name of the game in 2019 will be:

The team getting ready to ship an inlet cowl.

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Joramco is now a key MRO player in the market.

Recently, Joramco has obtained the Jordanian Civil Aviation

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There are multiple transformation projects in the works.

In order to make the company more customer focused; the en-

This transformation was showcased during Joramco’s participa-

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