December 2017 - www.avitrader.com North America in focus Industry interview Pratt & Whitney MRO News AFI KLM E&M from around the world scores in Dubai People on the Move MTU plans ahead latest appointments Editor‘s Page 2 Solving the pilots crisis he Its particularly shocking to learn just departures; 52 airports lost at least half; 29 air- how deep the global pilot shortage has ports lost at least 75% and 18 airports lost all of become . Among the worst hit regions are their commercial air service . The smallest commu- T the smaller communities in the U .S . nities have been hardest hit, in turn, contributing to the concerning urbanisation of GDP in the US According to the Regional Airline Association as the already marked disparity between rural and (RAA), regional airlines are the only remaining urban access to air service grows worse . Without source of scheduled, commercial air service at intervention, these impacts will deepen further as Published monthly by nearly two-thirds of the nation’s airports . Al- U S. major airlines prepare to hire the equivalent though regional airlines are working hard to at- AviTrader Publications Corp. of the entire regional airline pilot workforce within tract and support the next generation of aviators, Suite 305, South Tower the next three years .The situation looks pretty dire . career path barriers and the high cost of training 5811 Cooney Road have placed this rewarding career out of reach Richmond, British Columbia In this issue we focus on the U S. to see how the for many Americans . As a result, too few com- MRO industry there is fairing . With forecasts of V6X 3M1 mercial airline pilots are available to fly all of shrinking growth, MRO and supply chains or- Canada today’s routes, let alone meet the demands of ganisations will need to be very creative to stay tomorrow’s air travellers . competitive . Email: [email protected] Tel: +1 (424) 644-6996 As the regional airline industry contracted under Keith Mwanalushi the growing pilot shortage between 2013 and www.avitrader.com Editor 2016, 156 airports (U .S) lost at least 20% of their 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] North American MROs must be prepared for the type of work associated with the newer fleet types. Tel: +49 (0) 8761 346007 Photo: United Registration Contents AviTrader MRO is a subscription-free MRO and Production News . 4 monthly publication. To receive a personal copy in your Finance News . 13 inbox every month, Information Technology . 15 please click here to subscribe. Cover story: MRO North America . 16 Event review: AFI KLM E&M . 21 Opinion Industry Interview: Joe Sylvestro, Vice President, Aftermarket Operations, Pratt & Whitney . 23 Please send your comments Industry report . 24 and queries to Other News . 26 [email protected] People on the Move . 26 AviTrader MRO - December 2017 Your profitability. Our priority. Spare engine lease solutions that optimise your business performance. The CFM56 and LEAP engine specialists. Go to www.ses.ie SES is a wholly owned subsidiary of CFM International Power to Fly Now C39477.018_CFM_SES_OPTIMISES_AviTrader_Sec17_279x216_v1.indd 1 07/11/2017 12:11 MRO and Production News 4 be easily and safely stored . This solution has been delivered to a number of A320 customers, globally, in 2017 and is to be installed on an A319 for a European airline this month . It is the lightest and most cost- effective equivalent solution on the market and can be supplied with EASA and FAA ap- provals . Available in short lead times, the installation of this solution takes approxi- mately 16 person-hours allowing airlines to avoid unnecessary downtime . Sky Airline signs MOU for LEAP-1A Rate Per Flight Hour agreement Chile’s Sky Airline has signed a Memoran- Spirit President and CEO Tom Gentile made the announcement with local and state government leaders in Wichita dum of Understanding for a 12-year Rate Photo: Spirit AeroSystems Per Flight Hour (RFPH) agreement with CFM International to support the LEAP-1A en- eral Aviation Administration (FAA) certifica- Spirit AeroSystems plans major ex- gines that will power the airline’s new fleet tion of their retrofittable crash-resistant fuel pansion in Wichita, Kan. of 21 leased Airbus A320neo aircraft . The tank (CRFT) for the Airbus AS350 and EC130 agreement is valued at about $600 million Spirit AeroSystems has disclosed plans for family of light single helicopters . Production U S. ,. including spare engines . The leased major expansion and growth, including the deliveries to launch partners Air Methods aircraft are scheduled for delivery between addition of 1,000 jobs and capital invest- Corporation (AMC) and WeatherTech Avia- 2018 and 2021 . Under the terms of the ments totaling US$1bn over the next five tion LLC are already underway, with addi- RPFH maintenance agreement, CFM will years at its Wichita, Kan . facility . The growth tional orders now being taken from operators provide engine maintenance on a dollar- is fueled by a number of factors: increas- worldwide . European Aviation Safety Agency per-engine-flight-hour basis . The LEAP en- ing production rates on existing commercial (EASA) certification of the CRFT is expected to gine family has had an exceptional entry aircraft programs, growth in Spirit’s Fabri- follow shortly . The CRFT has been developed into commercial service with more than 26 cation and Defense businesses, and other by StandardAero and Robertson as a direct customers currently operating more than new business pursuits . The announcement replacement for all AS350 models, including 140 LEAP-powered aircraft on four conti- solidifies Spirit’s presence in Wichita and the AS350 C, AS350 D/D1, AS350 B/B1/ nents . Overall, the fleet has logged more Kansas for decades to come “Wichita is our B2/BA/B3 and AS350 B3e (H125), as well as than 210,000 flight cycles and 430,000 headquarters and the hub of our opera- for the EC130 B4 . The tank’s unique design flight hours while maintaining CFM’s indus- tions,” said Spirit President and CEO Tom features a robust crash-resistant fuel blad- try-leading reliability and the highest utiliza- Gentile . “Our workforce is unparalleled, der, with the same capacity as the legacy fuel tion rate in this thrust class . with generations of aircraft employees who cell, and uses several innovations including have worked in our plant . And now future magnetic field sensor fuel gauging technol- generations will have those same oppor- ogy and vent system roll-over protection . The tunities . We are proud to partner with the CRFT is compliant with the latest FAR Part MTU Maintenance Canada introduc- city, county and state to bring new jobs 27 952. fuel system crash resistance require- es V2500-A5 MRO capabilities and investment to the community and help ments, even when used in combination with ensure Wichita remains the air capital of a cargo swing . Public and regulatory focus MTU Maintenance Canada has introduced the world ”. The memorandum of under- on enhanced helicopter safety has continued V2500-A5 maintenance, repair and over- standing (MOU) with the city and Sedgwick to grow since the CRFT was first unveiled in haul capabilities and is fully certified by the County includes joint investment in a new 2015, and the FAA Reauthorization Act now Transport Canada Civil Aviation Author- building to be constructed on the north side includes an amendment that requires the ity . The introduction of the engine line that of Spirit’s property . The completion of the FAA to make helicopter owners aware of fuel serves the world’s A320 fleet is the result transactions contemplated by the MOU is system retrofits and to urge them to install of an agreement between Pratt & Whitney, contingent on approval by the Wichita City retrofits “as soon as practicable .” IAE, and MTU Aero Engines . It enables MTU Council and the Sedgwick County Commis- Maintenance Canada to serve the IAE af- sion, and the execution of definitive agree- termarket network for the life of the V2500 ments between the parties . program . The first engine is already at the Eirtech Aviation Services cargo load- facility for overhaul . MTU Maintenance cur- ing system cover to be installed on rently provides MRO services to 35% of the A319 for European airline world’s V2500 fleet in Hannover, Germany, Robertson Fuel Systems and Stand- and Zhuhai, China . “By adding capabili- Eirtech Aviation Services has designed and ardAero achieve FAA certification ties in Vancouver, we are expanding MTU manufactured cover panels to install over of Heli Crash-Resistant Fuel Tank Maintenance’s V2500 network into North the existing cargo loading system (FWD and America and strengthening its leading posi- Robertson Fuel Systems and StandardAero AFT) and to provide a flat cargo floor on tion globally,” said Helmut Neuper, President announced the milestone attainment of Fed- which cargo and passenger baggage can and CEO, MTU Maintenance Canada . AviTrader MRO - December 2017 MRO and Production News 5 installed . The center serves as an enabler for customers to accelerate the adoption of ad- ditive in their business, regardless of where they are on their additive journey . The facility also enables customers to start with a con- cept, design and build a prototype, and then move all the way through production, while enabling them to think through industrial- izing processes and helping improve their products and supply chain . The Munich center also offers a modern edu- cational facility for their Additive Academy™ – GE Additive’s customer training team . All customers are welcome to visit the center to collaborate with the local team on additive design, process development, prototyping and industrializing their additive operations .