Flexibility Is Key A320 Maintenance
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WWW.MROMANAGEMENT.COM 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) 54 MRO Management www.mromanagement.com − December 2014 Technical support 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, Thai Airways Aerologic EL AL Israel Airlines Philippine Airlines • Vice President and Budget Controller AeroMéxico Emirates Airline Polar Air Cargo Worldwide – Essam Hanafy, Chairman Advisor for Air Astana 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 Air Canada Federal Express Royal Brunei Airlines Airways Technical Air China Finnair Royal Jordanian Airlines • Membership Coordinator – David Air France Garuda Indonesia Saudi Arabian Airlines Boatright, Senior Category Manager, Air India Gulf Air Scandinavian Airlines United Airlines Air Macau Hawaiian Airlines Singapore Airlines • Custodian – Julie McClain, Senior Air Malta Hong Kong Airlines South African Airways Analyst – Pool/Lease/Loan/Borrow, Air Mauritius Iberia SriLankan Airlines American Airlines Air Namibia Icelandair SWISS International Air Lines • Standby Member – Giorgio Pietra, Air New Zealand Japan Airlines TAM Linhas Aereas Chief Executive Officer of Alitalia 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 Avianca 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 British Airways 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 Cathay Pacific Airways Malaysia Airlines US Airways the work being carried out by Continental China Airlines Martinair Holland Vietnam Airlines Data Graphics (CDG), a Boeing subsidiary. China Eastern Airlines Meridiana fly Virgin Atlantic 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. December 2014 − www.mromanagement.com MRO Management 55 Technical support 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