JUST WHEN THINGS WERE LOOKING UP - AIR INDIA FLEET RESTART Pulling planes from storage could pose big problems - Asian Aviation
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VOL 19, NO. 01 JAN-FEB 2021
OSED
CL
JUST WHEN THINGS WERE LOOKING UP…
FLEET RESTART SINO-US TIES AIR INDIA
Pulling planes from storage Will Biden ease tensions A planned sale finds
could pose big problems for Chinese aviation companies? few buyers for flag carrier
CONTENTS
20 23 26
FEATURES
14
MORE OF THE SAME? 26
DIGITAL REVOLUTION
Just when things were looking up with vaccines COVID-19 has accelerated airline digitalisation
On the cover: (Image from Shutterstock) getting approved and shipped at the end of 2020, efforts like never before, with airline mobile apps
new COVID-19 variants arrived in Asia and around and solutions taking on new roles during the
the world, throwing up new barriers to a return to pandemic.
4 VIEWPOINT ‘normal’. The challenges mean that aviation won’t
A new year, but ‘new normal’ be improving anytime soon.
29
DOES ANYONE REALLY
still missing
WANT AIR INDIA?
20 RESTARTING THE FLEET The government wants to sell Air India and
With the peak northern summer approaching
NEWS and vaccines offering hope, airlines are preparing
conglomerate Tata Sons wants to buy it, but the
deal has failed to take off repeatedly over the past
6 BUSINESS AVIATION to bring their aircraft back in service, but a lack several years. Why is it taking so long?
NEWS of planning and decision-making could cause
headaches in the MRO world.
7 ROTOR/UAV NEWS
23 TRADE WARS COULD GROUND
8 MRO NEWS CHINESE AVIATION COMPANIES
The three-year Sino-US trade dispute avoided
9 INTERIORS/IFEC NEWS
striking American vendors that sell civilian aircraft
10 AVIATION PEOPLE ON and their parts to China, but suddenly they’re
THE MOVE grappling with US bans on businesses with key
Chinese aircraft builders, in turn leaving those
12 INDUSTRY NEWS buyers short of supplies.
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@AsianAviation
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Asian Aviation (AAV) Benn Marks
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VIEWPOINT
A new year, but ‘new normal’
still missing
IF YOU WERE LIKE ME LAST YEAR, you spent days online listening veloping its “Travel Pass” and the non-profit group The Commons
to webinars and Zoom calls with experts in the aviation industry Project has developed one called the “CommonPass”. Both store
prognosticating about the ‘new normal’ that would take hold once digital proof that the traveller has been tested for COVID-19 and
we saw the end of the pandemic. And with the news of vaccines the border officials can scan the QR code to see where the traveller
coming into play before the end of 2020, there was indeed a glim- was tested, which organisation did the testing, etc. Both of these
mer of hope that things were looking up and it might be possible initiatives are great ideas and will, hopefully, become a reality sooner
that we could take to the air again for international flights, borders rather than later. The only problem is, once again, governments are
would reopen and the industry could try to earn back the billions dragging their heels on implementing them and efforts to coordinate
of dollars it has lost. Now that we’ve entered the new year, it turns their rollout by organisations like ICAO are falling on deaf ears. As
out that even with vaccines — being rolled out as slowly as they IATA’s de Juniac said: “This approach tells us that these governments
are — we’re still waiting for whatever normality will arise and the are not interested in managing a balanced approach to the risks of
signs aren’t promising. COVID-19. They appear to be aiming for a zero-COVID world. This
is an impossible task that comes with severe consequences, the full
COVID-19 & Quarantines extent of which would be impossible to calculate.”
If you plan on travelling internationally on a regular basis this year,
think again. Governments around world are not dropping their Hydrogen Dreams, Dodging Bullets
quarantines anytime soon, especially as new strains of COVID-19 The duopoly of Airbus and Boeing bear watching this year as well.
keep being discovered. Despite the pleas from organisations like Boeing dodged a major bullet when it settled a single US federal
the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Association charge of fraud in the 737 MAX debacle. The company agreed to
of Asia-Pacific Airlines (AAPA) and the International Civil Aviation pay US$2.5 billion to settle the case and blamed two errant em-
Organisation (ICAO), governments, guided by their health author- ployees for the fiasco that cost the lives of 346 people who trusted
ities, still take comfort (and political cover) in showing people that Boeing’s workmanship. Politicians in the US said the settlement
they are “doing something”, even though we’ve seen that by the time was “pathetic” and a “disgrace” with one calling Boeing’s corporate
a quarantine is actually in place, it’s too late. By some accounts, the culture “rotten”. Airbus, which is laying off employees left and right
so-called “mutant UK strain” escaped Great Britain and was trav- (like other manufacturers) and bleeding cash, seems to be pinning
elling around the world as early as December 2020. As Alexandre its hopes and future on hydrogen-powered planes and wants to
de Juniac, the director general of IATA, said: “Science tells us that have one in the air by 2035. It’s a noble sentiment, but one wonders
travellers will not be a significant factor in community transmission if how serious the company is about actually putting the necessary
testing is used effectively. But most governments have tunnel-vision funding into such a moon-shot programme given the current state
on quarantines and are not at all focused on finding ways to safely of the industry. For this to become a reality, it will take more than
re-open borders, or alleviate the self-imposed economic and mental good thoughts and pretty pictures of futuristic planes.
health hardships of the lockdowns.” As I’ve mentioned before, the old saying “may you live in inter-
esting times” is really a curse. As they say in TV land, it remains to
Digital Health be seen if 2021 will be as ‘interesting’ as last year. Hopefully not.
When I first came to Asia to work for an NGO in then war-torn Sri
Lanka in 1989, I had to carry a yellow card that showed proof I had
been vaccinated against things like Yellow Fever. While a physical
card may not make a comeback, organisations are developing a Matt Driskill EDITOR
digital replacement using QR codes and smartphones. IATA is de- matt.driskill@asianaviation.com
FINANCE & LEASING ROUTE DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS AVIATION
Cooperation is the name Airlines are scaling back A bright spot dims as quarantines
of the game to survive. once ambitious growth plans. cut into private jet operations.
4 AsianAviation | Jan-Feb 2021
What a feeling of happiness being open to the world can give us. With know-how and understanding, our engineers develop future-proof solutions in the form of hygiene concepts that allow passengers and crew alike to travel safely. Your success is our mission. highlights-diehlaviation.com/en/fly-again-together
Business Aviation News
EXECUJET MRO SERVICES
MALAYSIA GAINS NEW
CERTIFICATION
ExecuJet MRO Services Malaysia is now cer-
tified to work on all in-production models of
Dassault Falcon aircraft, making it the lead-
ing maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO)
organisation in Asia for Dassault Aviation
civil aircraft. ExecuJet has now completed
TAG Aviation welcomes two aircraft significant maintenance checks on all current
production models of Dassault Aviation civil
to its Asia fleet aircraft, namely the Falcon 900, Falcon 2000,
TAG Aviation welcomed a new Gulfstream G600 and a new Bombardier Global 7500 to Falcon 7X and Falcon 8X. Some notable ex-
its Asia fleet in the fourth quarter of 2020. TAG Aviation is one of the few operators in the amples include completion of a 24-month
region managing the two newest aircraft models from Gulfstream and Bombardier. The new maintenance check on a Philippine-regis-
Gulfstream G600 has just entered into service and is one of the first delivered to Asia. It tered Falcon 900EX with ADSB-Out upgrade
joins a comprehensive fleet of more than 20 Gulfstream aircraft under TAG Aviation man- and several 24-month/1600 flight hours
agement in Asia, which includes a G280, G450, G550, and G650/G650ER aircraft. The new inspection on Falcon 2000 series aircraft.
Bombardier Global 7500 is the second in TAG Aviation’s Asia fleet and joins more than 20 ExecuJet’s hangar, workshops and office oc-
other Bombardier aircraft including Challenger 604, 605 and 850 aircraft as well as Global cupies 64,000 square feet of land at Subang
5000, XRS, 6000 and 7500 models. — MATT DRISKILL Airport but, as a temporary measure so it can
cater to the increased flow of maintenance
work, it has expanded into a second hangar
TEXTRON AVIATION ANNOUNCES NEW CESSNA
that is 32,000 square feet and is adjacent to
MONITORING OPTIONS
its main facility. Due to its growing business,
Textron Aviation announced new aircraft transfer their flight data to one of two cus- the company plans to move into a new, pur-
flight data monitoring (FDM) service options tomer-selected Flight Operational Quality pose-built facility at another section of the
for Cessna Citation business jets equipped Assurance (FOQA) providers, Flight Data airport that will be dedicated to business avi-
with Aircraft Recording System II (AReS Services L3Harris Technologies’ Flight Data ation. The new facility will be 100,000-150,000
II). Through Textron Aviation’s proprietary Connect service or Safran Electronics & square feet and have a hangar large enough
LinxUs data reporting ecosystem, Cess- Defense’s Cassiopée Flight Data Monitoring to fit 10 to 15 large-cabin, long-range busi-
na Citation customers can now choose to solution. — MATT DRISKILL ness jets simultaneously. — MATT DRISKILL
JET AVIATION INCREASES CHARTER SERVICES IN RESPONSE TO GROWING DEMAND
Jet Aviation announced that is expanding in 2020. With COVID bringing airlines to inquiries in particular, the company has
its charter and aircraft management ser- a near standstill in 2020, Jet Aviation has broadened its services to meet the varying
vices with 41 new global fleet additions. been responding to a marked increase in requirements of its customers and Jet Avi-
The expansion comes in response to demand for aircraft management and char- ation also continues to add new aircraft to
growing inquiries about charter services, ter services. its global aircraft management and charter
despite the overall slowdown of air travel Noting a five-fold increase in charter fleet. — MATT DRISKILL
SINO JET WINS FIVE AWARDS AT WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS 2020
Sino Jet Group has been presented with and China’s Leading Private Jet Charter safeguard passenger and crew safety. By
five wins at the World Travel Awards 2020 2020. Sino Jet said that its stability and February 2020, the company had imple-
including World’s Leading Private Jet Com- growth in 2020 came in part because of mented comprehensive safety practices
pany 2020, World’s Leading Travel Club its swift implementation of new safety pro- including aircraft disinfection, double-crew
2020, Asia’s Leading Travel Club 2020, and tocols. It secured confidence by adjusting roster scheduling to manage quarantine
Asia’s Leading Private Jet Charter 2020, its standard operating practice (SOP) to regulations — MATT DRISKILL
6 AsianAviation | Jan-Feb 2021
Rotor/UAV News
LEONARDO ANNOUNCES
DRONE CONTEST
The 2021 edition of the Leonardo Drone Con-
test will be a “drone game” in which new
technologies and functions will be applied
in a new arena. Much like the formula in the
first edition, the new competition will include
a scientific and technological presentation
symposium at the end of spring 2021, and the
development of the new tender which will
be held in the autumn at Leonardo’s Aircraft
headquarters in Turin. — MATT DRISKILL
Volocopter commits to launch in Singapore
ROSTEC STARTS Volocopter announced its commitment to launch air taxi services in Singapore after two
ASSEMBLING FIRST MI-171A3 years of close collaboration with the city. Working together with the Economic Development
Russian Helicopters has started assem- Board of Singapore (EDB) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), Volocopter
bling the first prototype of Mi-171A3 off- plans to make air taxi services a reality in the Southeast Asian city-state within the next three
shore helicopter. The Mi-171A3 comes with years. In October 2019, Volocopter completed an air taxi demonstration flight in Singapore
several significant upgrades including a over the Marina Bay area. Leading up to this flight, the company opened a Singapore office
new airframe that integrates a crash-re- in 2019, conducted extensive flight tests, and worked with the Ministry of Transport (MOT)
sistant fuel system into the cargo bay floor and CAAS, to receive the necessary permits to fly. Meanwhile, Volocopter and ADAC Luftret-
and modernised avionics upgraded for off- tung announced that ADAC Luftrettung has reserved two VoloCity electric vertical take-off
shore operations and flights in the Arctic. and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to prepare for operational tests in 2023 on multicopter use for
— MATT DRISKILL emergency medical services. — MATT DRISKILL
EMBRAERX, AIRSERVICES AUSTRALIA OUTLINE
URBAN AIR MOBILITY CONCEPT ERICKSON GETS FINAL
EmbraerX, a subsidiary of Embraer, and Solutions, the new EmbraerX spin-off, will FAA CERTIFICATION OF
Airservices, Australia’s civil air navigation be responsible for this partnership with Air- COMPOSITE BLADES
service provider, have developed a new services and for the development of Urban Erickson announced final FAA certification
concept of operations (CONOPS) for the Air Traffic Management solutions. CONOPS for the composite main rotor blades on the
air taxi market, also known as urban air explores new and practical concepts to S-64F and CH-54B. Earlier this year, Erickson
mobility (UAM). safely facilitate the introduction of the air announced FAA approval of the S-64E
Going forward, Eve Urban Air Mobility taxi industry. — MATT DRISKILL model. This recent announcement finalises
the certification of the S-64F and CH-54B,
solidifying FAA certification for the entire fleet
RUSSIAN HELICOPTERS DELIVERS FIRST ANSAT
of S-64 Air Crane E & F models, as well as the
The Russian Helicopters holding company CH-54 Skycrane A & B models. The advanced
(part of Rostec State Corporation) has de- design of the blades provides a significant
livered a first Ansat helicopter to a client performance advantage, especially in hot and
in Europe. The operator of the rotorcraft, high conditions.
which is equipped for medical operations,
is the Ministry of Interior of the Republika ÖAMTC AIR RESCUE STARTS
Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina). This is with a stretcher and a medical shelf. The FLEET MODERNISATION WITH
the first of three helicopters under the de- helicopter cabin has space for transporting FIVE AIRBUS H135S
livery contract. Ansat for Republika Srpska one patient and two chairs for accompany- Airbus Helicopters and ÖAMTC Air Rescue
comes with a medical module equipped ing doctors. — MATT DRISKILL have signed a firm contract for the purchase of
five H135s. The delivery of the first helicopter of
this contract is scheduled for early 2022.
AsianAviation | Jan-Feb 2021 7MRO News
PRATT & WHITNEY
PRATT & WHITNEY
ADDS SECOND GTF MRO
SHOP IN CHINA
GKN signs deal with COMAC and AVIC Pratt & Whitney announced that it will ex-
pand its global network of providers that
COMAC subsidiary SAMC (Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Company), AVIC Supply and GKN
maintain the Pratt & Whitney GTF engine
Aerospace have signed a joint venture (JV) agreement for the manufacture of composite and
to include MTU Maintenance Zhuhai. A
metallic aerostructures in Jingjiang, Jiangsu Province, China. The deal is part of GKN’s plan to
joint venture between MTU Aero Engines
grow within the commercial aerospace market within China. The 80,000 square metre facility
and China Southern Airline Company, MTU
in Jingjiang will be GKN Aerospace’s first aerostructures JV in China. It will offer COMAC, AVIC
Maintenance Zhuhai will provide engine
and Western customers the opportunity to access a local supply of advanced aerostructures in
maintenance for PW1100G-JM engines for
the country. The JV builds on COMAC, AVIC and GKN Aerospace’s record in the global com-
the Airbus A320neo family of aircraft. The
mercial aviation industry. Production is scheduled to begin in Q4 2021 and, by the mid-2020s,
Zhuhai facility will be MTU’s third facility
the workforce is expected to grow to 1,000 people. In addition to the JV facility, GKN Aerospace
to serve engines with full disassembly, as-
is in final preparations to open (April 2021) a separate 20,000 square metre site in Jingjiang,
sembly and test capability in the GTF MRO
focusing on the manufacture of transparencies for the commercial market. — MATT DRISKILL
network. MTU Maintenance Zhuhai will be-
come the second facility in China and fifth in
MRO CHINA AIRCRAFT SERVICES Asia supporting GTF MRO work, alongside
WELCOMES NEW CLIENT JSC ROYAL FLIGHT AIRLINES AMECO in China, Pratt & Whitney’s Eagle
China Aircraft Services Limited (CASL) has Founded in 1995, CASL is a joint venture Services Asia (ESA) in Singapore, as well as
signed JSC Royal Flight Airlines as a new between China National Aviation Corpo- IHI and MHIAEL in Japan. — MATT DRISKILL
client with flights from Moscow’s Vnukovo ration, United Airlines, China Airlines and
International Airport (VKO) and Shereme- Gama Group, providing aircraft line and MEGGITT SECURES
tyevo International Airport (SVO) to Hong base maintenance, cabin services, ground CONTRACT WITH SICHUAN
Kong International Airport. services equipment and business jet main-
SERVICES AERO-ENGINE
CASL will provide ground handling and tenance, as well as supply and storage ser-
mechanic support to the airline’s Boeing vices at Hong Kong International Airport. Meggitt has secured a three-year con-
767 and 777 flights to and from Hong Kong. — MATT DRISKILL tract with Sichuan Services Aero-Engine
Maintenance Company (SSAMC) to supply
REVIMA OBTAINS PART-145 CERTIFICATION components for the CFM56 engine. The
FOR THAILAND FACILITY contract has a lifetime value of approxi-
mately US$1 million. SSAMC is a 60/40
Revima, an independent APU and landing joint venture between Air China and CFM,
gear MRO company, has completed the and is based at the Chengdu-Shuangliu
certification process for its new landing airport. — MATT DRISKILL
gear facility in Chonburi, south of Bang-
kok, Thailand. Construction on the 120,000
MAGNETIC MRO SIGNS DEAL
square foot facility began in February 2019
WITH AUSTRALIA’S REX
and was completed in March 2020.
In parallel, a significant staffing and train- Magnetic MRO, a Total Technical Care
ing program was initiated and completed, and Asset Management organisation, has
with numerous months of professional and announced that it has recently signed a
hands-on training at Revima’s headquarters CAMO service agreement with the Aus-
in Normandy, France. The US$40 million tralian operator REX Airlines (RAL) which
facility is equipped with the latest machin- monitoring and maintenance processes. will be in operation in the first quarter in
ery and tooling, fully connected for smart — MATT DRISKILL 2021. — MATT DRISKILL
8 AsianAviation | Jan-Feb 2021MOMENT CONNECTS 120
MILLION PASSENGERS IN 2020
Moment, a French provider of
Interiors/IFEC News
on-board digital solutions, announced
a five-fold increase in the use of
its solutions, reaching a 120 million
passenger user-base. Thanks to its
resilience and agility, the company was
able to drastically increase the scale of
its operations in 2020, inking three new
contracts with airlines, while expanding
into new business segments.
INMARSAT SATELLITE
ENTERS SERVICE FOR
AVIATION BROADBAND
Inmarsat said its newest and most
advanced satellite to date, the GX5, is
now delivering capacity to Europe and the
Middle East as part of the industry-leading
Global Xpress (GX) network, which powers Recaro Aircraft inks deal with employees,
the GX Aviation and Jet ConneX (JX)
inflight Wi-Fi services. releases new products
Aircraft seating manufacturer Recaro Aircraft Seating said a majority of its employees have
voted to approve the company’s concessions plan to help keep the company in business.
A total of 95 percent of IG-Metall (IGM) members voted “yes” for the concessions made by
employees, which prevents dismissals for operational reasons. Additionally, Recaro revealed
a luxury seat for Emirates’ first Premium Economy cabin. The customised seat design was a
result of a collaboration between Recaro and Emirates, which began in April 2019 at a seat
show held in parallel to the Aircraft Interiors Expo. Recaro also announced that KLM Royal
Dutch Airlines (KLM) is the launch customer for the SL3710 Economy Class seat on Embraer
and Boeing aircraft. KLM ordered more than 5,500 seat pax of the SL3710 and nearly 2,000
JOLED AND AERQ seat pax of the BL3710, which are slated for delivery starting in February 2021. The Recaro
WORK ON OLED DISPLAYS seats will be retrofitted on a number of Embraer E190 and Boeing B737-800, and will be
line-fitted on the Embraer E195. — MATT DRISKILL
Japan’s JOLED, an OLED expert and manu-
facturer of 4K OLED by printing technology,
and AERQ, a promoter of digital transforma- THINKOM SOLUTIONS SUPPLIES ANTENNAS FOR INMARSAT
tion for aircraft cabins, announced a collab- ThinKom Solutions announced it is sup- technology underpinning Inmarsat’s GX Avi-
oration aiming to integrate medium-sized plying its ThinAir Ka2517 aero satellite an- ation broadband satellite inflight connectiv-
OLED displays in aircraft cabins. AERQ is tennas to GDC Technics, in support of In- ity (IFC) solutions, including the new GX+
a joint venture between LG Electronics and marsat’s next-generation GX terminal and North American IFC service announced by
Lufthansa Technik, founded in 2019 to make associated inflight broadband services. Inmarsat and Hughes Network Systems ear-
airlines the playmaker of their digitalised The Ka2517 will serve as a critical enabling lier this year. — MATT DRISKILL
cabin experience by introducing innovative
technologies to the aviation industry. AERQ
ONEWEB SUCCESSFULLY INTELSAT COMPLETES
provides a digital ecosystem that consists
of an open IT platform, in-seat system, and
DEPLOYS 36 BIRDS ACQUISITION OF GOGO
Cabin Digital Signage. By leveraging LG OneWeb’s fourth launch overall and the third
COMMERCIAL AVIATION
Electronics’ extensive knowledge in dis- for 2020 is the first to be conducted with Intelsat announced it has completed its ac-
play technologies, AERQ is aiming to utilise Soyuz by Arianespace from the Vostoch- quisition of the commercial aviation business
OLED displays in aircraft cabins. AERQ has ny Cosmodrome in Russia. By successfully of Gogo. The closing of the US$400 million
demonstrated its Welcome Board, is work- placing 36 new OneWeb constellation sat- cash deal brings together two complemen-
ing on ceiling panels using large OLED dis- ellites into orbit, Arianespace resumed the tary enterprises — the world’s largest satellite
plays, and has also revealed a concept for deployment of this client’s satellite network, operator with the leading provider of com-
a class-divider using transparent displays. which now is composed of 110 satellites in mercial inflight broadband and entertain-
— MATT DRISKILL low Earth orbit. — MATT DRISKILL ment services. — MATT DRISKILL
AsianAviation | Jan-Feb 2021 9Aviation People on the Move
ACS has appointed the BAA TRAINING has succeeds Muhammad Albakri. IATA also
experienced Jason Bird as named Aurimas Urbonas announced that Willie Walsh will take over
head of cargo in their as managing director for as director general and CEO.
Singapore office. BAA Training Spain.
JET SUPPORT SERVICES,
The AIR CHARTER BII.AERO has appointed has named Pascale
ASSOCIATION has named Andrew Newell as sales Barhouch as director of
Glenn Hogben as CEO. He director. Newell brings a business development for
will work to ensure the ACA highly specialised the Middle East and India.
continues to lead the expertise in the aircraft
industry and support its members through interiors sector and is tasked with setting
current challenges and into the future. up a new centre of excellence at Bii.
GALEY SUPPORT
INNOVATIONS has
MARTA RAMIREZ KEN NIEZE
promoted David Valovich
to the position of vice PAYCARGO has appointed Marta Ramirez
president of Operations and Ken Nieze as vice presidents. Ramirez
GIOVANNI ANDREW MASON DARREN HARDING
PEDACCINI and Administration. is the new Global VP, Human Resources,
based at PayCargo’s Florida headquarters
AIRPORT DIMENSIONS has appointed Nieze appointed VP of Sales, West Coast,
Giovanni Pedaccini as its new commercial based in Seattle.
manager and Andrew Mason as new
creative director. The company also SINGAPORE AIRLINES
named Darren Harding as its new has named Chen Sy Yen as
commercial director. LIN SHIH YING
(NANA LIN)
DR KIAN CHUAN
CHAN
ERIC HERMAN the new general manager
for India. Chen has held key
AIR NEW ZEALAND GEODIS has named Lin Shih Ying (Nana positions at the SIA head
has appointed Richard Lin) as managing director for Taiwan office as well as at overseas stations.
Thomson as its chief and becomes the second female MD in
financial officer. Thomson GEODIS’ Asia-Pacific region. The company
is a former Air New has also named Dr Kian Chuan Chang
Zealander and has been CFO of publicly as regional customs brokerage director
listed Metlifecare for the past three years. and Eric Herman as managing director for
contract logistics in APAC. DAVID SETTERGREN JAY AIKEN
ARGUS
INTERNATIONAL, SR TECHNICS named David Settergren as
has named Mike vice president for Asia and named Jay
McCready as senior vice Aiken as vice president for the Americas.
president of Operations
and Business Development. VIRGIN GALACTIC
KAMIL H. AL-AWADHI WILLIE WALSH
HOLDINGS has named
ATPCO has named Alex The INTERNATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT Alistair Burns as chief
Zoghlin as president and ASSOCIATION has named Kamil H. information officer. Burns
CEO following a two- Al-Awadhi as IATA’s regional vice will be responsible for
month, in-depth handover president for Africa and Middle East, delivering the technology strategy for
with the executive team. effective 1 March 2021. Al-Awadhi Virgin Galactic.
10 AsianAviation | Jan-Feb 2021KEEP. IT. SIMPLE. WHEELS AND BRAKES. IT’S THAT SIMPLE. TPAEROSPACE.COM
Industry News
NOKIA SHANGHAI BELL
SNAGS HKIA DEAL
Nokia Shanghai Bell announced that the
Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) will
deploy a new, high-bandwidth, mission-crit-
ical Nokia IP/MPLS network to support tow-
er operations at Hong Kong International
Airport (HKIA). In addition to provision of
packet-based IP routing solutions, Nokia
will support and manage migration of lega-
cy non-IP aviation applications to the new
network. — MATT DRISKILL
HONEYWELL, SICHUAN
AIRLINES SIGN APU DEAL
Sichuan Airlines has selected Honeywell’s
131-9A auxiliary power units (APUs) for its
TRU
A320 fleet of aircraft. As part of a five-year
agreement, Honeywell will provide the 131-
9A APU for Sichuan Airline’s 93 new A320
China’s CAFUC lines up training suppliers aircraft that will enter service by 2025. The
ALSIM and TRU Simulation+Training have won contracts with the Civil Aviation Flight Uni- airline will also replace the APUs on its 141
versity of China (CAFUC). TRU said it had signed a deal with CAFUC to build and install existing A320 aircraft with the same Hon-
a Cessna Citation M2 light jet Level D Full Flight Simulator (FFS) at the training centre in eywell APU. This is the largest APU retrofit
Guanghan, China, to support CAFUC’s fleet of new Citation M2 aircraft delivered this year. deal in Honeywell’s history. — MATT DRISKILL
CAFUC’s fleet of Cessna aircraft includes 159 Cessna Skyhawk pistons, the largest in Chi-
na, four new Citation M2 light jets and seven Cessna Citation CJ1/CJ1+ light jets. ALSIM PLAZA PREMIUM GROUP
meanwhile, announced that it won a deal to supply five ALSR20 and one AL172 simulators. AND MARHABA FORM
The latest purchase increases the CAFUC’s fleet of Alsim simulators to a total of 15 devic-
PARTNERSHIP
es, already composed of AL42s, specific Diamond DA42 and AL172s, specific Cessna 172
Skyhawks. In total, this latest deal brings the total contract value between ALSIM and the Plaza Premium Group and marhaba have
CAFUC to about US$3.9 million in the last two years. — MATT DRISKILL formed a strategic partnership to enhance
their offering of airport lounges and ‘meet
CHINESE COMPANY WINS CAMBODIAN AIRPORT DEAL and greet’ services. The partnership will see
the two companies expand market presence
Metallurgical Corporation of China (MCC) of which is being funded by China. The air- by consolidating service distribution and
has been awarded the 2.67 billion yuan port is part of the Cambodian government’s customer engagement through integrated
(US$405 million) contract to design and strategy to boost tourism, but it comes as cross-selling capabilities. The partnership
construct the airfield for a new airport in other planned projects, including a new re- will initially cover major airports in strategic
Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The airport has a sort near Angkor Wat, face questions over markets across Asia, the Middle East and
total cost estimated at US$1.5 billion, most their long-term feasibility. — MATT DRISKILL Europe. — MATT DRISKILL
AEROLEASE AVIATION CANCELS DEAL WITH MITSUBISHI AIRCRAFT
Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation announced when Mitsubishi restarts development of stands at 153, the majority of them to Jap-
that its deal with Aerolease Aviation for the the regional jet. anese carriers. Mitsubishi Aircraft also has
Spacejet has been cancelled and the two With Aerolease’s cancellation, the total 114 options for the type, according to Cirium
sides agreed to “revisit” a possible contract number of firm orders for the SpaceJet now fleets data. — MATT DRISKILL
12 AsianAviation | Jan-Feb 2021APOC AVIATION OPENS NEW
WAREHOUSE IN SINGAPORE
As part of the on-going strategic plan to
expand its global footprint, APOC Aviation, a
leasing, trading, aircraft component and part-
out specialist, has announced the opening of
its first facility outside Europe. The new APOC
JEJU AIR, SABRE QANTAS, JAL, PLAN JV base in Singapore will hold stock of modern
RENEW DEAL TO HELP RECOVERY OF A320 family and B737 components, providing
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL the local market with faster access to their
Sabre has renewed its long-term distribution stock of spares inventory.
partnership with Korea’s largest low-cost Qantas and Japan Airlines (JAL) announced
carrier (LCC), Jeju Air. The renewed agree- plans to form a new joint business for cus- AUSTRALIA’S PEL-AIR
ment means that Sabre will continue to tomers travelling between Australia, New RECEIVES KING AIR FOR
distribute Jeju Air’s content to hundreds of Zealand and Japan to support the tourism AIR AMBULANCE SERVICE
thousands of travel agents, and the travellers industry’s recovery when international fly- Australian regional carrier Rex announced
they serve, through its extensive, worldwide ing resumes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. that its subsidiary Pel-Air has taken delivery
travel marketplace. Jeju Air typically operates The airlines have submitted an application of the first of five Beechcraft King Air 350
scheduled domestic services between cities for authorisation to regulators in Australia aircraft for the NSW Ambulance fixed-wing
across South Korea as well as between Seoul and New Zealand, with a decision expected patient transport service commencing Air
and international destinations including Ja- within six months. Subject to this regulatory Ambulance operations in January 2022.
pan, China, Russia, the Mariana Islands, and approval, it is anticipated that the joint busi- Pel-Air was awarded this contract in
a number of key destinations across South- ness would commence operations around February 2020. The aircraft will undergo
east Asia. — MATT DRISKILL July 2021. — MATT DRISKILL modifications locally, to meet the very
stringent requirements of NSW Ambulance.
BAA TRAINING SIGNS DEAL
WITH VIETRAVEL AIRLINES
BAA Training Vietnam and Vietravel Airlines
have signed a long-term partnership
agreement. BAA Training has committed to
the start-up airline Vietravel, controlled by
Vietnam’s leading tour operator Vietravel, to
provide wet and dry Airbus A320 full-flight
AIRBUS
simulator lease services. The first students
occupied the Airbus A320 full-flight simulator
(FFS) from November 2020.
AIRBUS INAUGURATES NEW SINGAPORE CAMPUS
Airbus has officially opened its new integrat- house has increased storage volume and BAMBOO AIRWAYS SELECTS
ed campus in Singapore. The inauguration capacity by over 70 percent. Also located at AFI KLM E&M FOR
was hosted by Christian Scherer, Airbus the campus is the new Southeast Asia oper- COMPONENTS SUPPORT
chief commercial officer, along with Chan ation for the Airbus digital services platform Bamboo Airways in Vietnam has contracted
Chun Sing, minister for Trade and Indus- Skywise. In addition to supporting Skywise with Air France Industries KLM Engineering
try for Singapore. Located at Singapore’s customers, the team based in Singapore will & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) to provide
Seletar Aerospace Park, the new campus be involved in exploring potential partner- component support for its Boeing 787 fleet.
covers an area of 51,000 square metres. It ships with start-ups and other technology The long-term component contract, between
is an expansion of an existing site, housing providers in the region. The campus will also Bamboo Airways and AFI KLM E&M covers
the Airbus Asia Training Centre (AATC), a be home to a branch of the global Airbus component repair, spares pool access and
joint venture between Airbus and Singapore Leadership University, providing training logistics for a fleet of 14 aircraft. Moreover,
Airlines, and the company ’s Asia-Pacific and tailored development programmes for Bamboo Airways becomes the 21st member
spare parts distribution facility, operated company employees. When operational, the to join the AFI KLM E&M 787 Operators
by Airbus subsidiary Satair. New facilities Singapore facility will be second in Asia, Community and will benefit from AFI KLM
at the campus include offices serving as the complementing an existing centre in Bei- E&M global network and reliable predictive
company’s regional hub for its commercial jing, and will offer courses to employees maintenance tool, Prognos.
aircraft, defence, space and helicopter busi- based at Airbus offices across the region.
nesses. In addition, a second Satair ware- — MATT DRISKILL
AsianAviation | Jan-Feb 2021 13OSED
CL
More of the same?
SHUTTERSTOCK
Just when things were looking up with vaccines getting approved and shipped
at the end of 2020, new COVID-19 variants arrived in Asia and around the
world, throwing up new barriers to a return to ‘normal’. The challenges mean
that aviation won’t be improving anytime soon as Matt Driskill explains.
THE PAST YEAR WAS UNPRECEDENTED as anyone involved efforts to develop a ‘digital health passport’ that would smooth the
in aviation knows. But the industry in November last year gave a way for travellers crossing borders, cargo carriers were preparing
collective sigh of relief when news broke that vaccines were on the super-cold transportation for vaccines and countries large and small
way and the dreaded quarantines put in place to stem the spread were opening ‘green lanes’ or ‘travel bubbles’ to kickstart flights
of COVID-19 might be going away. People were also applauding across borders.
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www.mtu.de/enAVIATION OUTLOOK
ICAO
With the new variants of the virus spreading faster and wider,
Paralysed revenue streams
botched rollouts of vaccination centres and no end in sight to the
pandemic and the troubles it has wrought, the aviation industry resulting from the plunge in air traffic
needs to hold on until at least mid-to-late 2021 to see any sign of has led to severe liquidity strains
improvement, according to industry associations, experts, airline
officials and others. across the aviation value chain…
“Paralysed revenue streams resulting from the plunge in air traffic
INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANISATION
has led to severe liquidity strains across the aviation value chain,
placing the industry’s financial viability in question and threatening
millions of jobs around the world,” the International Civil Aviation the global picture only by the second quarter of 2021, though this
Organisation (ICAO) said recently. Cascading impacts have also will still be subject to the effectiveness of pandemic management
been severe across tourism markets globally, given that over 50 and vaccination rollout.”
percent of international tourists formerly used air travel to reach
their destinations.” Airlines
The global US$370 billion drop in gross airline passenger oper- The world’s airlines alone need additional funding of at least US$70
ating revenues represented losses of US$120 billion in the Asia-Pa- billion to US$80 billion, according to Alexandre de Juniac, the out-
cific, US$100 billion in Europe, and US$88 billion in North America, going director general of the International Air Transport Association
followed by US$26 billion, US$22 billion and US$14 billion in Latin (IATA). That additional funding is in addition to about US$170 billion
America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and Africa, respectively, that airlines have already received via various public and private
ICAO data showed. ICAO said “the near-term outlook is for pro- funding measures. IATA warned in January that the former bright
longed depressed demand, with downside risks to global air travel spot of domestic travel in countries like China, Japan and South
recovery predominating in the first quarter of 2021, and likely to be Korea dimmed in November, down 41 percent year-on-year, while
subject to further deterioration. ICAO expects any improvement in international traffic was down 88 percent. IATA data also showed that
16 AsianAviation | Jan-Feb 2021AVIATION OUTLOOK
forward bookings were down 88 percent from 2019. While we still see airlines turning cash positive
De Juniac said the funding would help airlines sur-
vive until at least June, when he said he expects the within the year, the near-term picture is bleak.
first signs of travel restrictions to ease as COVID-19 Instead of a boost from the year-end holiday period,
vaccines begin to play a bigger role in containing
the virus. De Juniac said he expects to see more air-
we got even more restrictions.
lines fail in the coming months if they don’t receive
ALEXANDRE DE JUNIAC, INTERNATIONAL AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION.
additional funding, which would be added to the
30-40 that have already folded like AirAsia Japan and
Cathay Dragon, or gone through administration like Virgin Australia. Also affecting travel will be increased airfares. While airlines
“While we still see airlines turning cash positive within the year, might initially cut fares to spur passenger uptake, a decided lack
the near-term picture is bleak,” de Juniac said in January. “Instead of business travellers will force airlines to raise fares, most industry
of a boost from the year-end holiday period, we got even more re- experts agree. This is because corporate accountants have seen
strictions. Governments tightened borders in a knee-jerk response that much of their company business travel can be supplanted by
to a virus mutation. Canada, UK, Germany, Japan and others added online meetings or other indirect means. This has been illustrated
testing to their COVID-19 measures without removing quarantine in the aviation industry by companies such as lessors who have
requirements. In other words, they have chosen policy measures that managed the process of bring planes off-lease by using third-parties
will shut down travel. This approach tells us that these governments where the planes are based to conduct virtual inspections. Fares
are not interested in managing a balanced approach to the risks of are already rising in some cases, according to industry data that
COVID-19. They appear to be aiming for a zero-COVID world. This showed Business Class fares in the US are trending as much as 70
is an impossible task that comes with severe consequences—the percent higher compared to 2020 fares for March 2021 departures
full extent of which it would be impossible to calculate. But, with this while Economy fares are up 18 percent.
approach, we know for sure that the travel and tourism economy The “absence of corporate travel will undermine quite significantly
will not recover, jobs will continue to disappear and the lockdown’s the economics of long-haul flying,” said Peter Harbison, chairman
toll on people’s mental health will continue to grow, particularly on emeritus of the CAPA Centre for Aviation at a recent online event in
those who are separated from loved ones.” Australia. “I should say very significantly, not quite significantly. And
IATA
AsianAviation | Jan-Feb 2021 17AVIATION OUTLOOK
leverage the use of the vaccines in that way to expand it, and so
its role in international aviation.”
Harbison also said low-cost carriers will recover fastest because
they’re “usually best positioned to benefit from the recovery process
after a major shock. In these subdued economic conditions, they
have lower costs therefore can afford to fly at lower fares. And the
recovery will be led by domestic and international short-haul mar-
kets, LCC typical markets, VFR and leisure travel, and by the fact
that there’ll be limited business travel demand this year. Equally,
most LCCs have better balance sheets than the full service carriers,
and tend to be more nimble in their approach to getting in and out
of markets.”
OEM Outlook
The latest data from Cirium’s Fleet Forecast that was released
late year showed the world will need US$2.8 trillion worth of new
CAPA
aircraft over the next 20 years, despite the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic significantly reducing deliveries of new aircraft during
2020. The report predicts that 43,315 new passenger and freighter
There will be bilateral bubbles, again, aircraft will be delivered between 2020 and 2039, representing an
only with a combination of testing and 8 percent drop compared to the 20-year outlook in the 2019 Cirium
vaccination. Vaccination alone is unlikely Fleet Forecast and includes some 4,600 fewer deliveries in the next
decade. Engine flying hours will also fall by 45 percent in 2020 to 94
to provide the solution. million, compared to 170 million in 2019. However, the use of more
efficient aircraft this year means that total CO2 emissions are likely
PETER HARBISON, CAPA CENTRE FOR AVIATION
to be down by 50 percent. Over the next 20 years, total engine flying
hours will increase to 310 million.
we’ve seen, of course, that borders will close and open unpredictably Asian markets will be the growth engine for the global aviation
as circumstances change. Hopefully the rapidity of those closures industry during the next two decades, the report forecast. China
and the widespread nature will not be as significant as they’ve looks to be the biggest single destination for new commercial and
been in late 2020, but we know that they will occur. And exceptions passenger aircraft deliveries between 2020 and 2039, with a 22
to where the vaccine might help, perhaps — and this is a delicate percent share — one point ahead of the rest of Asia combined.
argument — the major transit hubs like the Middle East, Singapore, Airbus and Boeing are expected to remain the two largest com-
Hong Kong. Intensive testing may allow them to reconnect with mercial aircraft manufacturers (OEMs), between them delivering an
state-of-the-art airport connections and restore a position in long- estimated 77 percent of aircraft and 86 percent by value through
haul global travel. They still will be subject to lower corporate travel 2039. In the passenger market, single-aisle jets will account for 67
and less business travel revenues, but they do have typically lower percent of deliveries and 54 percent of delivery value, with the core
costs than the full-service carriers elsewhere. of this US$1.5 trillion market continuing to be the 150-seat size,
“There will be bilateral bubbles, again, only with a combination typified by the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 Max 8. The US$1.1
of testing and vaccination, “ Harbison said. “Vaccination alone trillion twin-aisle market will focus on 787s and A350s, with “mid-
is unlikely to provide the solution. Within Europe, perhaps, even sized” 250-300 seaters taking almost two-thirds of delivery value.
though the EU is being relatively slow in adopting and allocating Twin-aisle supply will remain the last duopoly in the commercial
the resources for vaccines. The US and Central America, which has sector until the turn of the decade.
held up pretty well so far. Again, if both the US and foreign vacci-
nation levels are sufficiently high. Bear in mind we’re talking later Quarantines & Technology
in the second half of this year, probably the third or fourth quarter. When China locked down Wuhan on 23 January last year at the start
Within North Asia where, with the exception of the recent spike in of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments around the world called it
Japan, the levels of coronavirus have been relatively low. And then too drastic, especially countries like the US and the UK. A year later,
perhaps, and this is a little more controversial, along China’s Belt the UK has implemented some of the strictest quarantine measures
and Road. China is pushing out the China vaccine to a number of in the world. China, Singapore, Japan and other Asian countries have
its allies along the Belt and Road and will certainly be looking to also implemented strict 14-day quarantine measures despite the
18 AsianAviation | Jan-Feb 2021AVIATION OUTLOOK
…the one thing I learned from 2020 is you
better be careful with your forecasts. There
has been lots of back and forth, countries
moving in and out of lockdowns, some
countries with domestic traffic bouncing
back and then dropping.
CYRIL TETAZ, AMADEUS ASIA-PACIFIC
IATA, ICAO and the Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines (AAPA)
have all come out against quarantines, but have been able to do little
to convince governments that sealing off the country is the wrong
approach. Officials with these organisations say they’re dealing with
health ministers who maintain a “zero-COVID” approach to incom-
ing travellers, which de Juniac has called “impossible”.
As reported previously in Asian Aviation, groups like IATA and
The Commons Project are developing so-called ‘digital health
passports’ to ease international travel. IATA’s Travel Pass and The
Commons Project’s CommonPass, both run on a smartphone and
take advantage of QR codes to verify a traveller has tested negative
for COVID-19.
Other companies are also seeing a large move to biometric and
‘contact-less’ procedures at airports and other travel hotspots.
Cyril Tetaz, executive vice president for airlines at Amadeus
Asia-Pacific, said in an online interview with Asian Aviation that “in
hindsight the one good thing for us is that most of our customers
remain committed to their (technology) projects.
“What happened in 2020 is that there was a lot of discussion in
the industry around touch-less airport and touch-less connectivity
and a lot of discussion around where to stimulate demand,” Tetaz
said. “And to do that you have to be absolutely brutal about customer
engagement with digital touchpoints.”
Tetaz said one of the major problems facing aviation is that
everything, from routes to passenger loads to fuel loads, cargo and
catering, was all based on historical data and COVID-19 has forced
a reckoning in the industry because there’s nothing in the past data
that prepared the industry for the near total shutdown in flying as
a result of the pandemic.
The outlook for 2021, Tetaz said, “is the one thing I learned from
pleas from IATA and other aviation associations that say quarantine 2020 is you better be careful with your forecasts. There has been lots
measures have done little to stem the spread of the virus. of back and forth, countries moving in and out of lockdowns, some
“Prior to COVID-19 there was a strong global health discourse that countries with domestic traffic bouncing back and then dropping.
argued against lockdowns and similar mass quarantines. This is but “We’re very cautious and very humble when it comes to fore-
one area of thinking that the current pandemic has overturned,” said casts…but we learned that the one rule you must have is to be very
Nicholas Thomas, an associate professor in health security at the quick to react…with COVID, it’s very clear we’re going to have to
City University of Hong Kong. “As far as is possible, lockdowns are work faster, from a tech standpoint more toward agile processes.
going to become part of the essential toolkit for governments to use And I think customers, our customers, will have expectations for
in addressing the ongoing as well as future outbreaks,” he said in a quicker turnaround (on technology) projects as well. So things are
recent Bloomberg report. difficult to predict, but I think we’re going to have to work faster.”
AsianAviation | Jan-Feb 2021 19STEVE STRIKE, OUTBACK PHOTOGRAPHICS Restarting the fleet With the peak northern summer approaching and vaccines offering hope, airlines are preparing to bring their aircraft back in service, but a lack of planning and decision-making could cause headaches in the MRO world as Michael Doran discovers. AT THE START OF 2020 the global fleet of commercial airliners What is concerning MROs is this lack of certainty and how that numbered around 26,000 and while numbers fluctuate, aviation may limit their ability to meet the RTS demands when they arrive. consultant NAVEO estimated that in mid-November 39 percent, or The tasks are well documented by the OEMs, from how aircraft and 10,000 aircraft, were parked as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic’s engines are to be stored to how they are to be reactivated and, apart effects on aviation. from the MAX rectifications, most are well-established MRO prac- Many airlines have already retired aircraft with the balance of their tices. With close to half of the grounded 737 MAX aircraft awaiting parked fleet in different levels of readiness, available to return in line delivery, the impact their rectification works will have on the MRO with the growth in passenger demand. Those decisions were made landscape remains to be seen. long ago, but with so much uncertainty surrounding travel restric- Airbus has developed a ‘Return-To-Service App’ for Airbus and tions, airlines are holding off committing to any firm return-to-service non-Airbus aircraft that allows airlines to visualise the status and (RTS) programmes. the maintenance forecast for each aircraft and create an RTS plan. 20 AsianAviation | Jan-Feb 2021
MRO
◀ Many airlines have already retired aircraft with the balance of their “We are seeing stored aircraft going into service and we recently
parked fleet in different levels of readiness, available to return in line sent a former Thomas Cook A321 down to Africa and another that
with the growth in passenger demand. came out of a repossession in Romania which is going to Asia in
February,” says Chandler. “We’ve got a couple of A320 Neos trans-
Airlines select a tentative RTS date and an assumed utilisation for ferring in January, one a 2000 model and two which are a year old,
each aircraft and the app will analyse the associated impact in terms so it’s a broad spectrum.”
of man-hour, costs and critical works. When an aircraft is certified as ready for return a ferry flight is
Vallair has broad aviation operations with locations in Luxembourg organised, either by the airline operator or a specialist ferry flight
and Chateauroux and Montpellier in France. Its MRO activities business, who will organise everything including the crew, fuel,
include light and heavy checks, passenger to cargo conversion, flight planning and insurance. “Normally they do a quick up and
painting, parking, storage, return to service and aircraft disassembly. back down to exercise all the systems and make sure everything is
Vallair mainly focuses on A320, B737 and ATR aircraft with parking operating correctly so any issues can be attended to by the MRO
slots for 50 single-aisle aircraft at Chateauroux, although it did host before the ferry flight. Now, due to COVID more than anything else,
the British Airways A380 fleet for a time, and a further 20 narrow- typically it’s a hired-in crew by the operator,” Chandler said.
bodies at Montpellier.
With aircraft tentatively returning to operations, Vallair is seeing
RTS activity pick up, but Head of Commercial Malcolm Chandler
says aircraft are still coming in from a mix of end of lease returns
and lessor repossessions. “We have a lot of aircraft that were put
into storage pre-COVID, mainly from airline failures and we’ve had
more come in,” he told Asian Aviation. “I don’t think we’ve seen the
really big repossessions or big failures yet and I think there’s more
to come in Europe.”
Vallair takes in aircraft for a mix of short-term parking for up to 12
weeks through to long-term storage of a year or more. Depending
on the storage programme in place and the instructions from the
continuing airworthiness management organisation (CAMO), tasks
are done periodically to keep the programme active. Chandler says
it’s the way they are looked after during parking that determines
their road back into service and that the RTS process is a set of
standard MRO operations.
“From short-term parking it involves removing all the protective
covers, checking and purging the pitot static systems, checking
the oxygen systems, removing any interior coverings on seats and
VALLAIR
carpets and a general visual around the exterior for any damage,”
he explained. “There might be an engine idle run with checks of the
fuel system but it’s all fairly standard with each CAMO having its
own small variation in how it’s done. The CAMO issues us the work- ▲ Vallair’s Malcolm Chandler says the way aircraft are parked
pack and we would complete that work and issue the Certificate of determines their road back into service.
Release to Service (CRS).”
Concurrently with the RTS programme, the owner or operator Aero Norway specialises in the complete range of MRO services
will elect to do any other maintenance that has fallen due, such as for CFM56 variants, such as the -3, -5B and -7B. Pre-COVID it was
C-checks or replacing life-limited components before taking the servicing around 100 engines a year and was developing its on-wing
aircraft back. However if the owner has found a new home for it the programmes where teams would go to the customer and perform
process may involve a heavy check, full paint strip and re-spray, lighter workscopes, such as changing engine modules. Returning
cabin reconfiguration, new carpet plus any other modifications they aircraft engines to service after parking is not a major activity for
need for operating in a particular area. engine MROs but the COVID related grounding means some older
If an aircraft is close to a major six or 12-year check, the owner will engines are being retired earlier than expected, which is creating
have to have that done as the airline will not want to induct a new work for the sector.
aircraft and then have to ground it for eight weeks of maintenance Aero Norway Customer Support Manager Kenneth Johnston
soon after. says their usual workload of scheduled engine servicing has dried
AsianAviation | Jan-Feb 2021 21You can also read
