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DECEMBER 2014 | VOLUME 16 ISSUE 4

Flexibility is key A320 maintenance

30 and counting Role models Power braking PW100 MRO growth Freighter conversions Brakes and taxi systems Technical support

In at the deep end

Ian Harbison reports from the 110th IATP Conference in Seattle

ATP (International Airlines Technical Pool) Northwest. These are supported by 31 may ask another airline to represent them, holds two conferences each year, each Associate Members (see Table 2) that are an but a proxy can only be used twice before the I approximately one month before the start interesting mix of large and small companies, airline is obliged to attend the next event. of the summer and winter flying seasons. Here, from OEMs and MROs to specialist service Each member has a Senior Delegate; the main all Member Airlines and Associate Members, providers. Of these, 23 were Associate qualification for this position is not necessarily plus invited non-members, convene to Members in 2009, showing that this list also based on the importance of job function but establish new pooling agreements covering changes through mergers or closures. rather familiarity with the company’s operations spares and line maintenance. The conference The number of Associate Members is and pooling requirements, as well as a good is well attended, with many companies each limited to 25% of the Airline Members – working knowledge of IATP. This is because the sending several delegates – there were 400 although currently there are more – though Senior Delegate is the prime contact in IATP attendees in Seattle, for example. it could be seen that some of the long-term pooling matters, the system administrator for Currently there are 101 airlines involved members may be excluding larger companies. access to the online system, as well as being (see Table 1). There has been a slight decline Their presence, however, shows a continued responsible for ensuring the accuracy of all in recent years, from a high of 111 in 2010, commitment to IATP, which is a basic online pooling activities. They also cast the but this is mainly attributable to mergers, requirement of the organisation – especially airline’s vote at meetings. especially in the US – including American/US for airlines, which should attend all The 110th IATP Conference was held in Seattle and was Airways, Continental/United and Delta/ conferences. If they are unable to do so, they hosted by Boeing (photo: Ian Harbison)

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Management These requirements can clearly be seen via Table 1: Airline membership the current Management Committee – which Aer Lingus Czech Airlines Nippon Cargo Airlines features a very compact organisational structure: Aeroflot – Russian Airlines Delta Airlines Oman Air • Chairperson – San Lucktong, Contract Aerolineas Argentinas EgyptAir Pakistan International Airlines and Agreement Department Manager, Aerologic EL AL Israel Airlines Philippine Airlines • Vice President and Budget Controller AeroMéxico Airline Polar Air Cargo Worldwide – Essam Hanafy, Chairman Advisor for Ethiopian Airlines Qantas Airways Material, EgyptAir Air Atlanta Icelandic Etihad Airways Qatar Airways • Project Coordinator – Danny Boulanger, airberlin EVA Airways Royal Air Maroc Line Station Control, South African Federal Express Royal Brunei Airlines Airways Technical Air China Royal Jordanian Airlines • Membership Coordinator – David Garuda Indonesia Saudi Arabian Airlines Boatright, Senior Category Manager, Air India Gulf Air Scandinavian Airlines Air Macau Hawaiian Airlines • Custodian – Julie McClain, Senior Air Malta Hong Kong Airlines Analyst – Pool/Lease/Loan/Borrow, Air Mauritius Iberia SriLankan Airlines Air Namibia Icelandair SWISS International Air Lines • Standby Member – Giorgio Pietra, Japan Airlines TAM Linhas Aereas Chief Executive Officer of Air Transat JAT Airways TAP Portugal Maintenance Services Alitalia Jeju Air TAROM

The Management Committee is voted in every All Nippon Airways Jet Airways Thai Airways four years by delegates of member airlines, they American Airlines Kenya Airways Thomson Airways then work for the organisation as volunteers. Asiana Airlines KLM Royal Dutch Airlines TNT Airways Atlas Air Korean Air Transmile Air Services Blue Book Austrian Airlines Kuwait Airways TUIfly The master document for any IATP member LAN Airlines TUIfly Nordic used to be the Blue Book, which contained Biman Bangladesh Airlines Libyan Airlines Tunis Air information on every aspect of the LOT Polish Airlines Turkish Airlines organisation’s business and procedures. In Cargolux Lufthansa United Airlines the last few years this has been transferred Caribbean Airlines Luxair United Parcel Service to the organisation’s website, with much of Airways Malaysia Airlines US Airways the work being carried out by Continental Martinair Holland Vietnam Airlines Data Graphics (CDG), a Boeing subsidiary. China Eastern Airlines Meridiana fly Airways The most important platform functions, China Southern Airlines MIAT Mongolian Airlines Yemen Airways especially in AOG conditions, are spare parts Condor Flugdienst Middle East Airlines pooling that can easily provide, participate and locate a required part in any of the 400 (Source: IATP) worldwide stations, as well as offering the ability to quickly identify a local counterpart at IATP has 10 parts pools covering aircraft and to and including A checks, as well as another location. Due to the conferences and components – the main aircraft parts groups are: troubleshooting and defect rectification, other social events organised by the IATP, the K (Boeing 707, 727, 737) which prevents AOG risks at line stations. operators often know exactly who they need M (Boeing 747) Despite the wide range of airlines and to call. Other useful features include the ability Q (All Airbus models; airports, IATP provides a clear definition of to display line maintenance capabilities and McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and MD-11) services, with standardised contract forms, equipment pooling availability, as well as the S (Boeing 757, 767) plus simplified administration information Technical Training Capabilities List, which T (Boeing 777) relating to approvals at each station gives quick access to the aircraft and engine available online. For Technical Services, training capabilities of all IATP members. Of the remaining groups, the most the provider’s cost is shared among all However, the main reasons for the significant are F (Technical Facilities and participating parties and paid as a monthly existence of IATP revolve around the line Services) and L (Line Maintenance). These flat rate, while Line Maintenance handling maintenance assistance provided, the pool allow airlines to share manpower and charges are agreed between the provider groups for parts, and aircraft recovery. technical facilities, covering all activities up and the individual member airline. „

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Group E (Ground Maintenance Equipment) Aircraft recovery Table 2: IATP Associate Members providers are obliged to: provide equipment in The Aircraft Recovery Pool Group, headed serviceable condition and ready for use; establish by Paul Caswell, Fleet Shift Manager at Aeroplex of Central Europe a local procedure covering the loan and return of British Airways, manages a group of 12 the equipment, notifying all parties concerned as recovery kits in strategic locations around Airbus to what has been established; and arrange for the world (see Table 3). A recent addition AJW Aviation substitute equipment when the pooled item is has been Qatar Airways, with a brand new

Ameco Beijing unavailable due to unserviceability. Users, unless kit capable of handling the Airbus A380. otherwise agreed with the provider, will: use their Member Airlines pay an access fee, says Ametek HSA own personnel to operate the equipment; Caswell, which is really an insurance policy. Aviation Concepts ensure that they are fully qualified; and return He notes that aircraft are becoming so equipment promptly to the provider after use. reliable that there has been a decrease in the AWAC Technics In addition, G (Avionics & Interchangeables) number of incidents over the last few years. Boeing has a Technical Watch Forum consisting of Despite this, training is kept up-to-date and volunteer technical experts to monitor, advise there is 24/7 coverage in case things do go China Aircraft Services Limited (CASL) and report back on technical matters wrong. The aim is to recover aircraft without pertaining to interchangeability (IC). This is causing any secondary damage and to clear Derichebourg Atis Aeronautique because IC is a complex area – not only can runways and taxiways in order to keep Direct Maintenance there be several alternative part numbers for a operations on schedule. Some airports component, airlines may not authorise all of have a policy of removing an aircraft by any Fokker Services them to be used. This could mean finding the means after a set time, to prevent runways GA Telesis correct, approved part becomes a lengthy being closed for a lengthy period – thus Hong Kong Aircraft process without any help or advice, says Brian rapid intervention could prevent an aircraft Engineering Company (HAECO) Scarry, Senior Inventory Planner at FedEx, who being bulldozed. Of course, depending

Interturbine Aviation Logistics heads up the pool. on circumstances, airlines may only have Peter Benk, Material Service at Lufthansa to uplift part of a kit to move their stranded JAS Aero-Engineering Services Technik, heads up the M Pool for the Boeing aircraft successfully. Lufthansa Technik 747. This is currently undergoing changes as There are two types of kits: the basic kit is airlines are phasing out their older 747-400s, used for aircraft with an empty dry weight of Mach 2 Maintenance while deliveries of the newer 747-8s are still at over 13,600kg, while a supplementary kit can MNX Global Logistics a low level. As a result of reducing fleets, he handle aircraft with an empty dry weight of says, some operators are limiting their spares over 90,500kg. The basic kit contains airbags, Nayak Aircraft Service inventories at outstations to basic items such low profile recovery jacks, belly bands and Perform Air International as wheels, hydraulic pumps, oxygen bottles slings, earth anchors, towing fittings and

Sabena technics and fire extinguishers. Additionally, individual towing cables. The supplementary kit, held supply support contracts could, in some cases, by Air France, British Airways, Qantas and SIA Engineering Company lead to restricted inventory availability for IATP, Qatar, is larger and contains additional Singapore Technologies as the spares may belong to a commercial equipment to take care of the A380. Aerospace organisation rather than an airline. Given this risk of forced removal, and Sky Mart Sales The P pool previously covered the the expense incurred in the event of non- McDonnell Douglas DC-9 and MD-80/90 membership, the annual fees are very SR Technics series but, earlier this year, was swapped cheap and are charged based on annual Sterling Courier to cover the Bombardier CRJ and Embraer landings and the number of kits to which E-Jet families. This reflected the phasing out of access is required. As an example: Taikoo Aircraft Engineering Company (TAECO) the older aircraft and the increasing amount of regional aircraft in service with major airline Airline A Timco Aviation Services partners, especially in the US. However, it may 9,800 landings per year, participating in Turkish Technic also be a way of gaining new members with 4 kits = approximately $6,700 per year individual fleets. Embraer, which is not an UTC Aerospace Systems ($0.68 per landing) Associate Member, was represented at the Virgin Atlantic Airways conference by Andre op’t Hof, Vice President Airline B Yemen Airways Sales and Business Development North 165,000 landings per year, participating America. He says that, subject to agreement, in 12 kits = approximately $27,000

(Source: IATP) components held in the company’s E-Jet Pool per year ($0.16 per landing) could be made available to IATP members.

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As a result, use of the kits by members is almost free, but for non-members the cost of the basic kit Table 3: IATP recovery kits includes an uplift fee of $120,000, plus $6,000 extra per day, as well as the wages of the Airline Kit Location Coverage Area accompanying specialists. The A380 kit is similarly Air France Paris-Orly Europe 1 & 2 priced, but the uplift fee is raised to $180,000. Middle East & Caswell points out that British Airways is the Air India Mumbai only airline with a full kit that covers every Indian subcontinent aircraft type, including the A380, 747-8 and 787. Chicago O’Hare North America central This includes a completely new airbag system American Airlines Los Angeles North America western and the ability to defuel the aircraft without the use of aircraft electrics. British Airways London-Heathrow Europe 1 & 2

Delta New York-JFK North America eastern Committees Other committees include: the Maintenance Japan Airlines Tokyo-Narita Asia eastern Pooling Agreements Committee, which Qantas Sydney Australia reviews the technical requirements relating to Middle East & Qatar Doha maintenance pooling agreements; the Supplier Indian subcontinent Services Committee, which acts as a liaison South African Airways Johannesburg Africa between the Management Committee and suppliers; the Platform Steering Committee, TAM São Paulo South America which is the interface between the membership United Airlines Honolulu North Pacific and CDG; and the Authorities Requirements Committee, which focuses on the airlines’ (Source: IATP) technical operations regulations. „

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Finally, there is the Station Restrictions Committee, which reviews all the restrictions at airports and creates potential alternatives or solutions for the organisations. This has gained increased importance in recent years, as airports have either started their own ground handling/ line maintenance operations, or subcontracted the work on an exclusive basis to a commercial organisation. It requires careful negotiation to persuade them – and sometimes the aviation authorities too – that the IATP pooling arrangements are not a threat to revenue, says IATP Chairperson, San Lucktong.

Projects 400 delegates from airlines and Associate Members attended the IATP conference, making it an excellent networking event There are project committees and project groups. (photo: IATP) The first are permanent and cover the following: authorities’ requirements; maintenance pooling A350 XWB, as the amount of data available opportunities for all Member Airlines and agreements; the platform steering committee; has increased dramatically. There are 400,000 their delegates. There are no boundaries and stations restrictions; and supplier services. parameters available, compared to 250,000 every member is encouraged to bring forward The groups, meanwhile, are temporary on the A380 and 13,000 on the A320. There their ideas, suggestions and opinions without and often relate to new aircraft coming into are also some 4,500 parameters available any political prejudice. service. At the moment, there are two – one for post-flight analysis. As well as identifying Nevertheless, the organisation is still for the introduction of the Airbus A350 XWB, trends during normal operations, he adds, looking to change and evolve. IATP 2020 is the other for new Boeing models and information can also be used to advise on a programme that started earlier this year derivatives (737 MAX, 787 and 777X). the workscope for heavy checks. to find new ways to improve services and For Airbus, André Loenker, Material Support increase membership. This is still at an early and Sales Director, explains that maintenance One for all stage, as suggestions are put forward for tooling for the aircraft, excluding engines and Perhaps another reason for the success of review by the members. The target is to nacelles, has been defined. IATP is that it defines itself as a not-for-profit, increase value for members, while also The company is working towards even independent, non-political, global organisation adapting the organisation to meet new greater preventative maintenance on the based on a democratic structure with equal industry trends. n

IATP history

IATP dates back to 1948, when the head of the Consolidated Pool, all under the guidance Associate Members in 2004. These are divided KLM approached both Sabena and of a Steering Committee. Seven years later the into three categories: the Supplier Technical with a proposal to save money by pooling organisation’s name was changed to the Forum (parts), Repair and Overhaul Forum equipment for their respective fleets of current International Airlines Technical Pool. (airframe, engine, component MRO), and the Convair CV-240 and Douglas DC-3 aircraft While in 1971, the Steering Committee’s title Service Provider Forum (line maintenance, at airports served by all three carriers. This was was changed to the current Management ground handling, training, logistics, a reciprocal agreement, negating the need for Committee. The next major change occurred transportation, e-business). Further categories any financial payments. The concept quickly in 1977, when the 16 airlines in the North include Guest Airlines (non-Member Airlines attracted interest from more international American Airlines Technical Pool (NAATP) permitted to use the facilities and services airlines, but it became difficult to maintain a merged with IATP. Since then, IATP has under sponsorship of a Member Airline) and balance of pooled resources. Instead, the become a global organisation. Equalized Airlines (non-Member Airlines more system changed so that providers had the In 2000, having been in existence for over than 50% owned by a Member Airline that are opportunity to receive regular payment for 50 years, an outside consulting firm was permitted to use the facilities and services items and services they provided, while users commissioned to review the organisation’s under sponsorship of that airline). were able to benefit from widely available operations and management. There were A year later, in 2005, the IATP spares, equipment and services at a much several recommendations for reorganisation Administrative and Operational Office was lower cost than purchasing them outright. and improvements to the corporate structure, established in Luxembourg with permanent, By 1960 there were 24 Airline Members in the most important being the introduction of paid staff on board.

58 MRO Management www.mromanagement.com − December 2014 Freighter conversions Technical support

carried out for some time in China, at STAECO in $28,000 per C check by doing maintenance in operate in the Caribbean, where climatic Jinan (which completed its 40th PEMCO Tampa, working on a nose-to-tailOn basis. the Casey line conditions tend to bring out problems of conversion in October 2013) and TAECO in notes that this translates to as much as $3 to $6 corrosion on the outer wing. Previously, repair Xiamen. Earlier this year, the first aircraft was per man-hour depending on check size. The schemes had to be approved by Airbus and with plenty of opportunities for face-to-face redelivered from Coopesa in Costa Rica, with benefits to customers having maintenance tooling shipped from Europe; PEMCO has now discussions, makes it very valuable. The another currently being completed at Kelowna carried out at a station on their network is also invested in two complete tooling sets to cut personal contact with your customers is what Flightcraft in British Columbia, Canada. Casey increasing, as newer fleets and modern turnaround time. really counts: being able to sit down at regular comments that higher Canadian labour rates maintenance programmes favour smaller, PEMCO’s on line location and demonstrated intervals and transparently evaluate the level were offset to some extent by a shorter ferry short-dwell maintenance visits. MRO performance has also found favour with of services you provide is very helpful, rather flight for the Canada-based customer. One of the airlines is JetBlue, which signed a airlines conducting major fleet campaigns, like than just using email or telephone. IATP is The company also acquired a Boeing 757 STC three-year contract in December 2013 with a American Airlines, which hired PEMCO to more than just business, IATP is like a family.” from Alcoa a few years ago and completed four two-year extension option for approximately complete over 200 737-800 and McDonnell This is especially important as the Combi aircraft for a US carrier, but this half of its growing Airbus A320 fleet (TIMCO in Douglas MD-88 Main Cabin Extra interior company is not just present at Amsterdam- programme is not currently active. Lake City, FL, received a similar contract upgrades over the past 15 months. The Schiphol Airport, but has stations in Kenya, simultaneously). PEMCO has been working with airline has apparently been very happy with Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. It also covers 43 aircraft/engine combinations, including Heavy checks the airline for five years on an annual contract the results as American followed up by (photo: Direct Maintenance) The other side of the business is heavy but the new contract sees a longer commitment, awarding PEMCO several 767 C checks the A380, 747-8 and 787. maintenance for airlines. This was part of the an increase in volume, now upRoger to two Meels, lines, andTechnical immediately Director at Direct afterwards. open up membership to a limited group of At the same time, he adds, the conference reason for moving to Tampa, as it is well served in the depth of services provided.Maintenance, the only independentWhile business is brisk, hangarvendors slots and are service still providers. is a forum where members can keep abreast by a number of US carriers. Ferry flight costs to Casey says that JetBlue recentlywidebody advised line that maintenance available provider for the in right projects.He Casey explains: says “We have very much enjoyed of the latest industry developments in the the company’s now closed facility in Dothan aircraft delivered from checksThe in Tampa Netherlands, have the says hishe companyexpects activity became to be slightlybeing partup this of the IATP community. Having field of line maintenance, such as regulatory were also a factor. In fact, Dallas-based highest reliability in the fleet,an an Associateexperience Member duringyear, moderated the October in part bybeen excess present North at 18 conferences at alternating issues, by participating in the various project Southwest Airlines and Chicago-headquartered shared with Florida-based ultra-low-cost2006 conference carrier in Osaka,American Japan. MRO This was capacity, butglobal he is locations anticipating during the past nine years, meetings. It is a very intense but highly United Airlines have reported saving $23,000 to Spirit, which put it at over 30%.just Both after carriers IATP managementa busy had 2015. decided to I can say the down-to-earth atmosphere, valuable week that runs twice a year.

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