Travel around the world, or even within a single country, and you'll find human factors principles applied unevenly in aviation maintenance due, in part, to uncertainties among maintenance leaders and inspectors as to what this field is all about.
The Transportation Department's June report on significant rulemakings revealed that the draft rule on drug-testing of certain foreign repair station employees is now expected to be released this week, pushed back from late May. And the FAA's projected publication date for a final rule on safety management systems for Part 121s slipped to early October from early September. Washington A Tough Transition
Embraer and Kenya Airways want to establish the airframer's second authorized service center in Africa for commercial aircraft, to specialize in E-Jets.
1. Racing Ahead MRO: Applied Composites Engineering Offerings: Indianpolis-based Applied Composites Engineering (ACE) got its start in 1982 in the motor racing industry. By 2007, the company's focus was 100% aerospace, including manufacturing and aftermarket support. ACE has 12,000 sq. ft. of dedicated MRO space and services radomes, engine nacelles, flight controls, interior components, and more for airline and business aviation customers. www.appliedcomposites.com Link 610 2. Chasing Dreams
FAA officials have long touted efforts such as the agency's systems safety approach as more efficient uses of its resources. The congressionally mandated budget cuts are putting this to the test—and industry had better hope the agency is right.
1. Performance Excellence Manufacturer: Huntsman Advanced Materials Applications: Huntsman Advanced Materials, part of the Huntsman family of companies, specializes in synthetics, adhesives and laminating systems for both aircraft manufacturing and repair. The company is just one of fewer than 600 suppliers to earn a 2012 Boeing Performance Excellence award. www.huntsman.com
As regional carriers readjust their maintenance needs and operations, a growing number of independent MROs are benefiting as new business comes their way.
The RB211 program bankrupted Rolls-Royce, forcing the U.K. government to step in and save the project and the company. Both recovered—Rolls-Royce is still delivering and developing engines, and the RB211 will go down as one of the most versatile and successful engine series of the jet age.
1. By The Book Provider: Aeronautical Repair Station Association Offerings: ARSA specializes in regulatory compliance training. The association's courses focus primarily on the requirements of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations pertaining to design, production and maintenance, and on gaining Inspection Authorization acceptance from the FAA. Standard and customized courses are available. www.arsa.org Link 606 2: More Lean Provider: Duggan Associates
Washington Benefits Of Outsourcing A new report from the bipartisan analysts paid to educate Congress puts a pile of facts in the way of a pretty good story about the perils of airline maintenance outsourcing.
Line maintenance and ground support equipment appear to be two of the industry sectors with an outsourcing growth trend, from specialized tools to inflight entertainment systems (IFE). While line maintenance was once focused purely on safety, it now encompasses inflight entertainment, with special cabin teams tasked with ensuring airlines' marketing promises and customers' expectations are met.
The global civil aircraft fleet should increase 3.9% over the next 10 years to 32,500 aircraft, and the value of the aftermarket supporting that fleet likely will grow at a 3.2% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to $69 billion by 2022, according to an Aviation Week forecast. While the growth percentages look small and could indicate a constrained airline capacity increase for the next few years, while keeping maintenance costs in check, a look at the underlying numbers make this a much more dynamic story.
In September 1996, Embraer announced the arrival of its regional jet family in North America when Continental Express ordered 200 ERJ 145s. Even though only 25 of the commitments were firm, the message was clear: Embraer's 50-seat market entry was going to be a major player in the world's biggest aviation market. Recently, a few ERJ 145s were involved in a very different kind of transaction that delivered an equally emphatic, but different message.
No Fault Founds (NFFs) occur when parts appear faulty on an aircraft or in a line check, but test as fault-free in the shop. They are a frustrating waste of money and effort because although they appear to be benign, they still must be vetted. Reducing NFFs remains tough to accomplish. As old causes are discovered and resolved, new challenges arise, for example in increasingly complex avionics software.
An American Airlines-US Airways merger offers the combined carrier clear opportunities to leverage existing assets as part of a long-term MRO strategy that mixes in-house and outsourced work. Just how much work will stay in the new American's hangars is anyone's guess, however, particularly considering the apparent clash of philosophies.
