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Mumbai, 30th June 2023: The Engineering division of SriLankan Airlines recently completed heavy maintenance check of Cebu Pacific Air Airbus A330 (Trent 700). This marks the airlines engineering division foray into providing Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) services for wide-bodied aircraft from the Southeast Asian region. Cebu Pacific Air is the first Southeast Asian airline to sign up with SriLankan Engineering for heavy maintenance on wide-body aircraft. The heavy maintenance check on the Cebu Pacific Air aircraft was performed in SriLankan Engineering’s dedicated European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approved wide-body hangar over a period of four days. It was also the third heavy maintenance by SriLankan Engineering for a customer airline with the other checks being carried out on two Airbus A330 (CF6) aircraft of Serene Air, who came aboard last year. This year several new airlines enrolled with SriLankan Engineering for line maintenance services in Colombo and the Maldives. The demand for base maintenance services has also been equally strong. Air-Sial and Salam Air enlisted for component maintenance services, while and Cebu Pacific Air and Jazeera Airways became the newest customers of heavy maintenance services in 2023. The increasing demand for its MRO services has also resulted in an increasing dollar revenue for SriLankan Engineering, which saw a 35 per cent jump in earnings between the last two financial years.

Feature by Aeroclass Ever since the start of the pandemic, the MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) industry has faced many challenges that had an impact on many industry players. According to Anca Gosling, Director of Training Content and Development at Aeroclass, an aviation digital learning platform, despite hurdles, the industry is expected to reach new heights in the coming years. The current state of the MRO market indicates a remarkable recovery, with a projected market value of $94 billion in 2023, an increase of over 20% from the previous year. This growth signifies a return to pre-pandemic levels, as the global fleet has recovered by 98%, and passenger traffic has reached 90% by the beginning of 2023. However, Gosling points out that amidst this positive outlook, the industry further continues to face challenges that impede its rapid development. One of these challenges is effective labour and material cost management as material costs are expected to experience inflation of approximately 6.7% annually over the next couple of years. Gosling explains that to counteract this, MROs are focusing on increasing the usage of used serviceable material (USM). With retiring current-generation fleets, there is ample opportunity to salvage materials, while the commonality between current and next-generation fleets facilitates USM adoption. Shortage of qualified staff Another significant challenge lies in the shortage of qualified staff, particularly maintenance technicians. Anca Gosling explains, “As demand for MRO services rebounds, the industry has had to rapidly scale up production and maintenance operations with fewer employees. To address this issue, operators are implementing measures such as educational outreach, subsidized technical training, improving the work environment, recruiting talent from other industries, and utilising internet-based recruitment platforms Online training and courses, such as the ones offered by Aeroclass, can also play a vital role in optimizing staff training and onboarding processes, enabling faster and more streamlined training programs.” Additionally, the MRO industry faces challenges in its material supply chain. Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers have struggled to meet the increased demand for parts, leading companies to rely heavily on the aftermarket for supplies. “This strain on the supply chain highlights the need for improved collaboration and coordination between OEMs, suppliers, and MROs to ensure efficient and timely availability of required materials,” she shares. Address challenges amicably While the MRO industry is poised for recovery and growth, several challenges must be addressed to ensure its sustained success. Effective labour and material cost management, tackling the shortage of qualified staff, and overcoming material supply chain disruptions are all critical areas that require attention. By implementing strategic solutions such as increased usage of USM, investing in training programs and online education, and collaborating closely with suppliers, the MRO industry can navigate these challenges and continue its upward trajectory, driving innovation and efficiency in the aviation sector. (Aeroclass is the first digital learning platform to focus specifically on the aviation market.Aeroclass is part of the Avia Solutions Group family, the world’s largest ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) provider, with a fleet of 180 aircraft, and a parent company of SmartLynx, Avion Express, Bluebird Nordic, BBN Indonesia Airlines, KlasJet, Magma Aviation and more.)

Paris Air Show, 22.06.2023: GKN Aerospace announced the first delivery of F-35 Lightning II wheels and brakes assemblies serviced and maintained at its GKN Fokker landing gear facility in The Netherlands. This delivery marks the first shipset of its contract to service and maintain wheels, brakes and strut assemblies for the F-35 fleet in Europe. Shawn Black, President of GKN Aerospace Defence Business said: ”This is a tremendous step in expanding the F-35 industrial base while shortening maintenance times in Europe and increasing international partnership in the program. We look forward to continuing our work with Lockheed Martin in supporting this vital multi-role fighter in Europe and the Pacific.” GKN Aerospace’s Fokker business received the contract award to maintain and service the F-35 landing gear from the Joint Program Office due to its extensive experience in landing gear maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) in other platforms including the F-16 and the NH-90 helicopter. Along with maintenance activities, the landing gear business is also involved in the design and manufacturing of the F-35 arresting gear and the development of the F-35 composite landing gear drag brace. GKN Aerospace has been involved in the F-35 program since the start and has designed and manufactured electrical wiring interconnected systems, flaperons, in-flight opening doors, cockpit canopy, air frame parts and arresting gear for all F-35 aircraft.