Page 9 - AAA SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2014 Online Magazine

SPECIAL FEATURE MRO TRENDS

Due to rapidly increasing
demand for heavy
maintenance of popular
narrow bodies, the MRO
industry is equivocal
about the actual capacity
it can offer, especially as
concerns adequate supply
of qualified workforce to
handle the work
As a result, in the next couple of years commercial jet aircraft ordered in 2004
the airframe MRO of Airbus’ and Boeing’s and 2005 are approaching the 10 year
popular airplanes will account for over $7 milestone and are, therefore, due for
billion worldwide. However, due to rapidly landing gear overhaul.
increasing demand for heavy maintenance Approximately 80% of main landing
of these aircraft, the MRO industry is gear overhauls will be performed on
equivocal about the actual capacity it can mainline jets: roughly three-fifths of
offer, especially as concerns adequate these will be on Boeing models, and about
supply of qualified workforce to handle one-third on Airbus jets. However, the
the work. market for landing gear MRO is changing
The airframe MRO market - including as older aircraft leave service and newer
heavy checks, line maintenance and types appear on the horizon. As a result,
modifications - for the narrow body the major challenge for the market is the
aircraft is expected to reach approximately increase in technological advancements
$9.1 billion by the end of 2014. in the aircraft.
“The 2014 MRO spend of 737 NGs, “On the one hand, older types have
757s, and A320 family aircraft are recently benefited from more components
comparable. However, by 2024 the 737 NG/ becoming available, as fuel efficiency
MAX family is expected to far outpace the concerns have led airlines to scrapping
MRO spend of even the next largest fleet, aircraft at an earlier date, which has
the A320 family. The business implications resulted in extra rotable stock coming into
of this trend are not only the need for the market. However, there is also another
more hangar space and gaining necessary side to this trend. For instance some
certification to perform maintenance on members of the Airbus A320 family might
the types, but also meeting increased not even reach second or third overhauls,
training requirements, especially in as they will be replaced by the 320neos,
software and highly integrated systems,” while some early A330/340s are already
says Volungevicius of the FL Technics being parked, thus re-shaping the market
Training. accordingly,” says Deividas Jurkstas,
the Head of FL Technics Engines and
Landing Gear MRO Components Management Department.
Landing gear MRO market traditionally “Moreover, as landing gears are
follows aircraft delivery cycles. The shops becoming more reliable, the service
should be busy in the next few years as intervals might change. In such new
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