May-2012

Advanced composites in aero enginesRising to the repair challenge

The leading international magazine for the manufacturing and MRO sectors of commercial aviation

In my opinion: AFIpresident Franck Terner

Electronic flight bags:A tablet transformation?

New solutions for landing gear MRO

Delivery and deadlines— supply chain logistics

April - May 2012 • Issue 117

AOG CRITICAL ROUTINE

GLOBAL NETWORK OF SPECIALISTSIN AEROSPACE TRANSPORTATION

24/7/365 Hotline: 00 8000 AOG TEAM

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Your Parts have a Destination.We know the Way.

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Aircraft Technology Engineering & Maintenance (ATE&M)

(ISSN: 0967-439X - USPS 022-901) is published bi-monthly, in February, April, June, August, October andDecember with an extra issue in July, plus annual issues of the yearbooks published in September and November by UBM Aviation Publications Ltd. anddistributed in the USA by SPP c/o 95, Aberdeen Road,Emigsville, PA 17318-0437, USA.Periodicals postage paid at Emigsville, PA. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Aircraft Technology Engineering & Maintenance c/o SPP P.O. Box 437 Emigsville, PA 17318-0437, USA.

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EDITOR

Jason Holland: [email protected]

ASSISTANT EDITOR

Joanne Perry: [email protected]

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS

Alex Derber, Chris Kjelgaard, Nick Rice

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Phil Hine: [email protected]

E-EDITOR & CIRCULATION MANAGER

Paul Canessa: [email protected]

MEDIA MANAGER

Alan Samuel: [email protected]

Front cover image courtesy of AFI KLM E&M— Patrick Delapierre

CONTENTSApril - May 2012 • Issue: 117

» NEWS UPDATE

4. A round-up of the latest news,contracts, products and peoplemovements.

» INDUSTRY FOCUS

16. In my opinion: Frank Terner, president, Air France Industries

What are the reasons behind the com-pany’s success, how is the MRO marketchanging, and where does AFI KLME&M’s future strategy lie? Jason Hollandasks the questions.

» TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

22. Using advanced composites in aero engines

The increased use of carbon-fibre compos-ite materials in large commercial aircraft iswell-known, but there could be an evenmore revolutionary movement towardscomposites in aero engines, reports ChrisKjelgaard.

48. Overhead aircraft handlingduring maintenance events CTI Systems says it has developed aninnovative solution for overhead aircrafthandling during maintenance and testprocedures.

50. Supply chain logistics

Logistics services are the lifeblood of theaviation industry, but Joanne Perry discov-ers that service providers face increasingtime and cost pressures and must imple-ment integrated IT solutions to cope withfuture demand.

58. Component maintenance The sheer variety of parts on modern air-craft means that component repair is oneof the trickier capabilities for maintenance providers to master, saysAlex Derber.

» ENGINEERING &MAINTENANCE

40. Landing gear MRO

What is required to keep landing gearserviceable and how will maintenance beimpacted by new materials and technolo-gies such as titanium, composites andHVOF? Joanne Perry reports.

» DATA & DIRECTIVES

70. Industry data: Airbus A320family

78. FAA AD biweekly summarylistings

» INFORMATIONTECHNOLOGY

64. Essential Flying Buddy —the EFB is here to stay

The industry for electronic flight bags(EFBs) has long been a sleeping giant.After two decades of limited commer-cial use, finds Nick Rice, IT innovationin EFB software and hardware is finallywaking the giant from his slumber.

32. Super sensing: Air data systems

Most air data systems today are digital solu-tions, as the role of the “eyes and ears” of anaircraft continues to expand.

Boeing strong

Lufthansa Technik services for Boeing. Never change a winning team! Over 50 years ago, Lufthansa started into the jet age with a Boeing. Since then, we’ve been providing full technical support for Boeing air-craft, engines and components. With the latest addition being the 747-8 Intercontinental. Lufthansa Technik and Boeing − a partnership with a long tradition and a bright future.

Lufthansa Technik AG, Marketing & SalesE-mail: [email protected] www.lufthansa-technik.com/747-8 Call us: +49-40-5070-5553

More mobility for the world

since 1960.

Launch customer 747-8 Intercontinental

NEWS UPDATE

4 � Aircraft Technology - Issue 117 �

Rolls-Royce’s Trent XWB engine com-

pleted a successful first flight on an

A380 flying testbed. The flight began

at the Airbus facilities in Toulouse,

France, and lasted more than five

hours, covering a range of power set-

tings at altitudes of up to 43,000ft.

Sabena technics completed its first

modification for Phoenix Aircraft

Leasing, based in Singapore. The work

on an A310 was conducted at the

Sabena technics facility in Bordeaux,

France, and included livery painting.

Lufthansa Technik has ordered one of

CTT System’s ‘Cair’ humidifiers to

install on a new VIP BBJ747-8 air-

craft. The Cair system provides

humidification of dry aircraft cabins

without causing condensation.

The heat treatment division of UK-

based Keighley Laboratories has been

certified to the AS9100 revision C

standard, the quality management

system for the aviation, space and

defence industries.

Prime Air has announced that it has

received AS9100-C certification.

Achieved in October 2011, the certifi-

cation was awarded following an

audit by Intertek.

Safety equipment repair station HRD

Aero Systems has expanded its use of

Component Control’s ‘Quantum

Control’ MRO and logistics software.

Prime Air Europe has achieved AS9120-

2009 Rev A standard accreditation, the

highest level of certification available

for aerospace distributors.

European airline group OLT is to

deploy Commsoft’s ‘OASES’ mainte-

nance management software across

its entire fleet following its recent

mergers with Polish carriers Yes

Airways and Jet Air.

Non-electric floorpath marking sys-

tem ‘Guideline ColourFit’ from

Lufthansa Technik has now been cer-

tified for 777 and 747-8 aircraft.

Airbus said the main and nose landing

gear test bench for the A350 XWB is

ready for service at its facility in

Filton, UK.

NEWS UPDATE

INBRIEFNEWS HIGHLIGHTS »

BOEING REVEALS 737 MAX DESIGN DETAILS

After months of deliberations, Boeing has revealed details of a number of design decisions ithas made on the 737 MAX — including how it will accommodate the larger engines being used.

An eight-inch nose gear extension will lift the aircraft so that the larger engine fan of the CFMInternational LEAP-1B engines is able to fit whilst maintaining a similar ground clearance totoday’s 737. A new pylon and strut has also been agreed on, and the engines will be integratedwith the wing “similar to the aerodynamic lines of the 787 Dreamliner engine with its wing”.

As has been speculated, the manufacturer said it was considering a “revision” to the wing tipson the MAX, with wind tunnel tests currently taking place — but chief project engineerMichael Teal insisted any new technology would have to show “substantial benefits” and pres-ent “minimal risks”.

Other confirmed design improvements include aft body aerodynamic improvements such asthe tail cone being extended and the section above the elevator thickened “to improve steadi-ness of air flow”. Boeing says this eliminates the need for vortex generators on the tail, resultingin less drag.

Meanwhile, the flight controls will include fly-by-wire spoilers rather than a mechanical sys-tem, thus saving weight. Boeing says an electronic bleed air system will allow for increasedoptimisation of the cabin pressurisation and ice protection systems, resulting in better fuelburn.

Finally, the manufacturer said it intends to strengthen the main landing gear, wing and fuse-lage to accommodate the increase in loads due to the larger engines.

Beverly Wyse, VP and GM of the 737 programme, says the new aircraft is now “on-track todeliver substantial fuel-savings to customers starting in 2017”. The final design configurationshould be complete by mid-2013 and further announcements and amendments are expected;in the meantime Boeing will continue to conduct aerodynamic, engine and aircraft trade stud-ies.

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Material Services Fleet Services Flight Services Information Services

NEWS UPDATE


Precision Aviation Group has gone

live with the ‘Pentagon 2000SQL’ sys-

tem across multiple business units.

Air traffic control service provider

NATS has selected SITA and Egis —

through its subsidiary Egis Avia — to

provide it with a data link front-end

processor and Pro-ATN routers.

Russian MRO provider Engineering

LLC has announced it will acquire Epic

Aircraft, the privately-owned aviation

company that specialises in kit aircraft.

Qatar Airways’ corporate jet division,

Qatar Executive, based at Doha

International Airport, has been named

by Bombardier Aerospace as a line

maintenance facility for its Challenger

300, Challenger 604, Challenger 605

jets and its Global business jets.

Boeing completed flight testing for

the GEnx-powered 787 Dreamliner.

The final flight test was conducted in

February 2012.

Dunlop Aircraft Tyres has struck a

strategic deal with Triplett Aerospace

which will see the Houston-based

company storing and distributing

Dunlop tyres for both narrowbody

and widebody aircraft in the US.

TUG Technologies has signed a deal to

incorporate Corvus Energy’s lithium

technology into its portfolio of

ground support equipment products.

Indian airline Jet Airways has signed a

lease agreement with WheelTug to

install the company’s ‘Aircraft Drive

System’ on its 737NG aircraft.

Ancra International is to provide

Turkish Airlines with an additional

three A330-200F Integrated Main

Deck Cargo Loading Systems, bring-

ing the total number of orders from

the carrier to five.

Czech Airlines Technics has signed

PDQ Airspares to market in excess of

18,000 stock-lines from its surplus

material.

The structural assembly of the first

A350 XWB aft fuselage has been

completed at Airbus’ manufacturing

site in Hamburg.

NEWS UPDATE

INBRIEFNEWS HIGHLIGHTS »

CSERIES, C919 TO SHARE COMMON COCKPIT

Bombardier and COMAC are to collaborate on four projects which seek to develop commonal-ities between their respective CSeries and C919 aircraft. This includes exploring commonaspects of crew interfaces in the cockpits of the two aircraft, with COMAC modelling its cockpitafter the CSeries.

The other initiatives involve the electrical system – with both companies agreeing deals withHamilton Sundstrand; the development of aluminium-lithium standards and specifications;and areas of customer services in terms of technical publications and co-location of teams. Allfour projects are expected to be completed over the next 12 months and in conjunction with theC919 aircraft development schedule.

The two manufacturers signed a broad exploratory framework agreement of co-operation onMarch 24 last year. These four projects represent the first phase of what is intended to be alonger term relationship.

By developing strong ties with COMAC, Bombardier will surely be hoping to establish more ofa presence in China — and ultimately sell more of its CSeries aircraft there. The C919 is largerthan the CSeries, so operators could easily have both aircraft types in their fleets — and themore commonalities there are between the two, the more potential cost savings there are to berealised. With a common cockpit, for example, an operator could use the same pilot trainingfor both aircraft. The CSeries is currently scheduled to enter service in late 2013, while the C919is set to debut in 2016.

FOUR LESSORS SIGN UP TO CFM TRUENGINE PROGRAMMEInternational Lease Finance, CIT, AerSale, and GE Capital Aviation Services have signed anagreement with CFM International to include their engines in the manufacturer’s TRUEngineprogramme. CFM says the programme serves as a method for identifying engines that havebeen maintained in accordance with CFM-issued recommendations, thus allowing easy evalu-ation of engine value and re-marketability.

TAT GROUP CHANGES BY�LAWS GOVERNING SABENA TECHNICS Sabena technics has become a limited liability company with a board of directors, after its par-ent company TAT Group changed the by-laws governing it. TAT Group changed the structureof Sabena technics by transforming it from a limited liability company with executive andsupervisory boards into a limited liability company with a board of directors.

BOEING TO USE ULTRAMAIN SOFTWAREBoeing is to provide Ultramain Systems’ efbTechLogs software in support of its ElectronicLogBook offering. Ultramain’s software replaces the traditional paper technical log with a fullyelectronic log that operates on electronic flight bag (EFB) hardware located onboard aircraft.The company said the agreement would accelerate the automation of defect reporting, increas-ing flight safety and reducing maintenance delays.

Our work... flies with you.Put your components in our hands. Because at Iberia Maintenance we have the capacity

to overhaul and repair over 7,000 kits per year and we know how to care for everything down to the

tiniest detail, so your aircraft will operate faultlessly. But we really like to go that bit further:

we want to take you further, because our work... flies with you.

IBERIA MAINTENANCE Commercial & Development Direction. Madrid - Barajas Airport, La Muñoza. 28042 Madrid, Spain.Phone: +34 91 587 49 71 / Fax: +34 91 587 49 91. E-mail: [email protected]

www.iberiamaintenance.com

NEWS UPDATE


TAM MRO has been certified by Brazil’s

National Civil Aviation Agency ANAC to

provide maintenance services on ATR-

72 aircraft with Brazilian registration.

GE has approved Jet Aviation St.

Louis, in Missouri, as an authorised

service centre for CF34 engines pow-

ering business aircraft.

The European Safety Agency has

granted a supplemental type certifi-

cate to Aviation Partners for its high

Mach blended winglets on Falcon 900

series aircraft.

‘OASES’ software from Commsoft has

gone live on nine Airbus aircraft oper-

ated by Hi Fly of Portugal.

Airbus has renewed its ‘Total

Component Support’ contract with

Lufthansa Technik for services cover-

ing A300-600 ST “Beluga” aircraft.

Bombardier Aerospace has inaugu-

rated its new office in Shanghai,

which will become home to the com-

mercial aircraft teams working with

the Commercial Aircraft Corporation

of China.

PATS Aircraft Systems has ordered CTT’s

‘Cair’ system to be installed on one of its

VVIP BBJ3 narrowbody aircraft.

ATR has opened a new training centre

for pilots and maintenance technicians

in Johannesburg. The company said

the centre would support the growing

number of ATR aircraft in Africa and

its associated development potential.

Asco Industries has successfully deliv-

ered the first ship set for the new

A350XWB-900 aircraft to Airbus

Bremen. The work package includes

44 subassemblies and will equip the

first prototype of the A350XWB-900.

Aeroconseil, a subsidiary of AKKA

Technologies Group, has signed a deal

with Presagis to make use of its simula-

tion and embedded graphics software.

Flying Colours of Canada is set to

deliver three Challenger 850 jets to

customers in the Asian region. Each

aircraft was completed at the com-

pany’s facilities in Canada and the US

over a period of eight months.

NEWS UPDATE

INBRIEF

AEROSPACE INDUSTRY UNITES UNDER

SUSTAINABILITY BANNER

“There are times to compete and there are times to co-operate,” said Boeing president and CEOJim Albaugh of a newly-signed memorandum of understanding between his company, Airbus,and Embraer to work together on the development of “drop-in, affordable” aviation biofuels.

The manufacturers agreed they would “seek collaborative opportunities” to speak in unity togovernment, biofuel producers, and other key stakeholders to “support, promote and acceler-ate the availability of sustainable new jet fuel sources”. Albaugh commented: “Two of thebiggest threats to our industry are the price of oil and the impact of commercial air travel onour environment. By working [together], we can accelerate their availability and reduce ourindustry’s impacts on the planet we share.”

The aviation industry has already committed to an ambitious 2020 goal of achieving carbon-neutral growth. Airbus president and CEO Tom Enders said the “production and use of sus-tainable quantities of aviation biofuels” would be central to meeting such self-imposed targets.The three companies accept that working together will achieve results much quicker than ifthey embarked on individual agendas; a common sense approach borne out of both financialand social necessity.

The agreement was signed at the Aviation and Environment Summit in Geneva, where leadersfrom 16 global aviation companies and organisations also signed a declaration as a show ofunity on the issue of sustainable development. It reminds world governments of the “vital” rolethe sector plays in economic growth, providing jobs whilst taking its environmental responsi-bilities seriously.

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS »

GE TESTS NANOTEXTURED ANTI�ICING SOLUTIONGE Global Research has released new findings relating to the nanotextured anti-icing surfaceswhich the company is developing. The surfaces have been found to “significantly” delay ice for-mation in simulated atmospheric icing conditions, as well as reducing ice adhesion. AzarAlizadeh, materials scientist, GE Global Research, believes the technology “could one dayreduce and possibly even eliminate the need for existing anti-icing measures”.

MARILAKE ENHANCES 737 SUPPORT AND APPROVALSMarilake Aerosystems, which specialises in avionics and instrument repair, has added a rangeof 737 avionics and instruments for exchange, sale or lease as part of its improved workshopservices. The company has also converted to AS9100 Revision C & BS EN ISO 9001:2008approvals for its post design services, cockpit instrumentation/avionics repair and overhaulservices and cabin display systems. The move is in advance of the deadline set for all organisa-tions operating within AS9100 to reach this enhanced standard.

NEWS UPDATE

9� Aircraft Technology - Issue 117 �

Boeing has been awarded an

amended type certificate from the

Federal Aviation Administration for

its 787-8 Dreamliners equipped with

General Electric GEnx engines.

Noveko has delivered its first air fil-

ters to Air Transat to equip the

Canadian airline’s entire A330 fleet.

The ‘Noveko-IDP’ filters act by purify-

ing recirculated air throughout the

aircraft cabin.

Florida-based STS Component

Solutions has opened a new office in

the UK to support its growing presence

in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

Dallas Airmotive, part of BBA

Aviation, has announced that its

Singapore Regional Turbine Center

has received its operating certificate

from the country’s Civil Aviation

Authority.

Cessna and Aviation Industry

Corporation of China have signed two

strategic agreements to jointly

develop general and business avia-

tion in the People’s Republic of China.

Direct Maintenance has commenced a

support programme for the Trent-

powered 777-200 operations of

Malaysia Airlines at Amsterdam

Schiphol Airport.

Northwest Aerospace Technologies is

assisting British Airways with its first-

class cabin retrofit programme for

777-200 and 747-400 aircraft.

Jet Aviation Hong Kong has added

interior refurbishment capabilities to

its maintenance facility, with the open-

ing of a new workshop in Tsuen Wan.

GE Aviation has named Aero-Dienst

as an authorised service centre for its

CF34-3 engine, which powers the

Bombardier Challenger 600 series.

Gama Group has acquired Ronaldson

Airmotive, the Oxford-based engine

and components overhaul company.

The Civil Aviation Maintenance

Association of China (CAMAC) has cer-

tified Guangzhou Aircraft

Maintenance Engineering Company as

a civil aircraft parts distributor.

INBRIEF

AEROINV.COM CONSOLIDATES $150M INVENTORYAftermarket aircraft parts company aeroinv.com says it has successfully consolidated an inven-tory of aircraft component parts worth in excess of $150m in its first six months of trading. Thecompany has also processed and shipped more than 140,000 individual component parts fromits central distribution hub in Singapore. Collin Trupp, CEO of aeroinv.com, says the companyis “firmly onto the front foot” to achieve its target of “becoming the leading aftermarket sup-plier of non-rotable parts within the next 24 months”.

TAM MRO JOINS AIRBUS NETWORKTAM MRO, which currently provides services for the A320 and A330/A340 families throughoutSouth America, has become the newest member of the Airbus MRO Network. The Airbus MRONetwork is designed to provide customers with a worldwide choice of competitive, high-qualitymaintenance services from MRO providers with Airbus aircraft experience.

EVERGREEN RENAMED MARANA AEROSPACE SOLUTIONSEvergreen Maintenance Center has been officially renamed Marana Aerospace Solutions. Thecompany was acquired by Relativity Capital in 2011, and offers maintenance, repair, painting,storage and end-of-life services. Its 460-acre facility is located at Pinal Air Park in Marana,Arizona.

AEROMECHANICAL AWARDED FIRST AFIRS 228 ACTIVATION STC AeroMechanical Services, under its FLYHT brand name, has received its first activationSupplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the Automated Flight Information Reporting System(AFIRS) 228 on a Bombardier CRJ-900 Series aircraft.

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS »

RECARO TO BUILD CHINA PRODUCTION

FACILITY

Recaro Aircraft Seating is to build a new production facility in Qingdao, China. The company,which has signed an investment agreement with Chinese authorities, says it will be the firstinternational aircraft seat supplier in China to manufacture seats for the local market. The firstaircraft seats will be supplied to customers in China as early as 2013.

NEWS UPDATE


AFI KLM E&M ANNOUNCES CONTRACTSAFI KLM Engineering & Maintenance (E&M) has received two new maintenance and compo-nent support contracts from Atlas Air and National Airlines. Atlas Air has signed AFI KLME&M to provide component support for its fleet of 747-400s, including repairs and generalcomponent overhauls on a flight-hour basis. Meanwhile, National Airlines has signed AFI KLME&M to a multiple-year contract to provide maintenance services for the CF6-80C2 enginesequipping its fleet of 747-400Fs. In addition to engine maintenance, the agreement alsoincludes the leasing of aircraft engines to ensure availability of National Airlines aircraft duringshop visits.

L�3 TO ACQUIRE THALES CIVIL AIRCRAFT SIMULATION BUSINESSL-3 Communications has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of Thales Training &Simulation’s civil aircraft simulation and training business. The purchase price is $132m. Basedin the UK, the business has an installed base of more than 540 simulators. L-3 anticipates thatthe acquisition will be completed in the summer of 2012, subject to customary closing condi-tions and regulatory approvals. Pending the successful completion of the transaction, ThalesTraining & Simulation will be integrated into the L-3 ‘Link Simulation & Training’ organisation,part of L-3’s electronic systems group.

NTSB CALLS FOR OVERHAUL ON PSU DESIGN AND TESTING The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has called on the FAA to modify the cur-rent design and test requirements related to passenger service units (PSUs) and seatbelts, whichit has deemed a “safety hazard”. The request has come in response to a number of “survivableaccidents” in which overhead bins and PSUs on 737NG aircraft “became separated from theirattachments during the accident sequences, likely increasing the number of reported occupantinjuries, particularly injuries to the head and face”. The NTSB has also called for the FAA todevelop test criteria and performance measures for the negative-g straps that are part of flightdeck seats, and to replace Ipeco-built strap attachment brackets “with stronger brackets”.

TUI to use Boeing’s ‘Toolbox’TUI Travel has purchased Boeing’sMaintenance Performance Toolbox foruse on its fleet of 737-800, 737 Classic,757-200, 767-300ER and 747-400 air-craft. TUI’s five-year subscription willinclude library, systems, authoring andtasks modules. “We anticipate improv-ing our maintenance operation effi-ciencies through better tracking of linemaintenance records and up-to-the-moment technical information,” saidJason Mahoney, technical director,Thomson Airways.

Pemco files for bankruptcyPemco World Air Services has filed forchapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Thecompany says a slowdown in demandfor aircraft conversions has forced it tolook for alternatives. Pemco, whichprovides MRO services for both wide-body and narrowbody aircraft andregional jets, said it was also consider-ing a closure at its facility in Dothan,Alabama.

SIAEC and Panasonic launchIFEC repair centreSIA Engineering Company (SIAEC)and Panasonic Avionics Corporationhave opened a facility in Singapore forthe maintenance of Panasonic in-flightentertainment and communications(IFEC). Panasonic Avionics ServicesSingapore will provide IFEC checksduring aircraft transits at ChangiAirport as well as component repairservices. SIAEC has a 42.5 per centshare of the JV, while Panasonic has57.5 per cent.

CAE and APS launch web-based LOC-I training toolCAE and Aviation PerformanceSolutions (APS) have launched a newweb-based tool designed to help stan-dardise full-flight simulator (FFS)instructor knowledge for loss of con-trol in-flight (LOC-I). LOC-I isdefined as flight that occurs outside ofthe normal flight envelope in whichthe pilot is unable to control the air-craft. Lou Nemeth, CAE’s chief safetyofficer, said: “The objective is to pro-vide an analysis tool for pilots andinstructors to recognise the condi-tions contributing to an LOC-I upsetsituation and a fundamental corestrategy for recovering control andflying the airplane.”

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS »

GE CELEBRATES 1,000TH GE90

GE Aviation has completed the 1,000th GE90 engine at its facility in Peebles, Ohio, eight yearsafter the type entered into service with Air France. Total orders are over 1,500 for the engine,which powers 777-300ERs, 777-200LRs and 777 freighters. GE says 2011 was the most successfulyear yet for the GE90-115B, which accrued commitments for 400 engines, including a largeorder from Emirates Airline. The manufacturer says production levels continue to increase andthat 180 engines will be produced this year, 10 more than last year. A backlog of 800 engineswill be delivered over the next four years.

NEWS UPDATE


AIRBUS TO PRODUCE 11 A330S EACH MONTH BY 2014Airbus is expecting to boost its A330 production to 11 aircraft a month in 2Q 2014, so long as itsorder book is not too adversely affected by the European Union’s emissions trading scheme(ETS). Currently, Airbus produces nine A330s each month and is on track to build 10 a monthnext year. However, there is concern that the possible inclusion of Chinese airlines into the EUETS would result in a potential block on widebody aircraft deals by Beijing, which in turnwould upset these production rates. While an order for 10 A380s is attracting the most interest,six A330 deliveries are also at risk next year and 19 more by the end of 2014, and parts produc-tion of those is underway.

BOEING TO RELOCATE 787�9 TAIL PRODUCTION OUT OF SEATTLEBoeing has unveiled plans to move production of the horizontal tail of its 787-9 Dreamlinersfrom Seattle to Salt Lake City, and to Alenia Aermacchi in Italy, by late 2012. At the momentBoeing’s centre in Seattle does the development work and initial production on the 787-9 hor-izontal stabiliser. Boeing said the facility in Salt Lake City would deliver its first stabiliser in Q12013, while the date for the first delivery from Alenia is still being finalised.

GMR INAUGURATES MRO FACILITY AT HYDERABAD AIRPORTMas GMR Aerospace Engineering (MGAE) has officially inaugurated its new MRO facility atRajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, India. MGAE — a JV between MalaysianAerospace Engineering and GMR Hyderabad International Airport — was formed to developan integrated, third party airframe MRO. The Indian MRO facility will provide full aircraft basemaintenance services and will cater to the maintenance needs of both regional and global air-lines.

ST AEROSPACE TO ADD SIMULATOR CENTRE IN SINGAPOREST Aerospace has initiated a $26m expansion programme at Seletar Aerospace Park, Singapore.The new additions will include a simulator centre, a VIP facility for air charter customers anda general aviation hangar. The simulator centre will be situated on 23,100m2 and cater to thecompany’s commercial pilot and technical training businesses. Equipment will include six full-flight simulators and one fixed based simulator, plus computing facilities for air transport pilotlicence and entry level ground training. The centre is designed to comply with Singapore’snewly legislated multi-crew pilot licence programme and will be ready to launch at the end of2012.

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS »

Boeing teams with COMACfor Beijing technology centreBoeing has signed a collaborationagreement with Commercial AircraftCorporation of China (COMAC) to cre-ate the Boeing-COMAC AviationEnergy Conservation and EmissionsReductions Technology Centre inBeijing. Funded by both companies,the centre will focus on research proj-ects to increase commercial aviation’sfuel efficiency and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. The new facility will belocated at COMAC’s Beijing CivilAircraft Technology Research Centre.

Nippon Carbon forms JV withGE and SafranNippon Carbon Company, GE Aviationand Safran are set to launch a joint ven-ture (JV) to manufacture and sell sili-con carbide (SiC) continuous fibre, or‘Nicalon’. The new JV, NGS AdvancedFibers, will be headquartered in Chuo-ku, Tokyo with facilities in Toyama-shi,Toyama in Japan. Nippon Carbon willhave a 50 per cent share in the venturewhile GE and Safran will each have a 25per cent share. The ceramic fibreNicalon is an important material forCFM’s next generation of aircraftengine components.

Kuehne + Nagel launch activemobile sensingKuehne + Nagel has introduced activewireless sensors which record andtransmit the temperature of pharma-ceutical airfreight shipments through-out the supply chain. The technology,which was tested in collaboration withairlines, makes use of low-emissiondevices in order to comply with secu-rity regulations. Launching the newservice will require the installation oftransmission equipment in the logis-tics facilities of Kuehne + Nagel and itsairline partners, plus pre- and on-car-riage vehicles.

Canadian North signs up toAMOSCanadian North has become the latestairline to use AMOS, Swiss AviationSoftware’s (Swiss-AS) MRO manage-ment software. Canadian North is thesecond airline in the Americas regionto use the software since a dedicatedUS office was set up through a partner-ship deal between Swiss-AS andLufthansa Systems.

PANASONIC ACQUIRES MAJORITY STAKE IN AEROMOBILE Panasonic Avionics has become the majority shareholder in AeroMobile Communications. Thetransaction underscores Panasonic’s commitment to AeroMobile’s eXPhone product, which itsays is a “key element” in its long-term in-flight connectivity and communications strategy.The product allows passengers to use their mobile phones to make and receive voice calls andSMS text messages in flight, along with data services such as emails. Telenor, which was previ-ously AeroMobile’s sole owner, remains the only other shareholder.

CFM TO PRODUCE 1,800 ENGINES A YEAR BY 2018CFM International is expecting to produce about 1,800 current and next-generation engines by2018, following a “surge in demand” for CFM56- and Leap-powered Airbus and Boeing aircraft.The increase equates to a new engine rolling off the combined US and French assembly linesevery five hours at parent companies General Electric and Snecma. Engine deliveries are pre-dicted to grow from 1,260 this year to 1,400 in 2012, 1,500 in 2013, and upwards of 1,600 in 2014.The figures follow a record number of orders taken in 2011, for 1,500 CFM56s’ and commitmentsfor more than 3,050 Leap engines.

NEWS UPDATENEWS UPDATE

INBRIEF

BOEING, EMBRAER TIE�UP PART OF WIDERDIPLOMACY BETWEEN US AND BRAZIL

Boeing and Embraer have signed a general agreement which will see them co-operate on oper-ational efficiency, aircraft safety, and productivity. The tie-up between the two manufacturershas inevitably led to speculation that a new single-aisle aircraft could be jointly developed inthe future.

For now, the companies simply noted that the agreement marked the establishment of an“important relationship”. It is the second broad agreement between aircraft OEMs in recentweeks after Bombardier and COMAC announced they were to collaborate on four separate proj-ects in late March (see page 6).

Boeing and Embraer will initially seek to jointly investigate “commercial aircraft features thatenhance safety and efficiency”, while collaborating on research and technology programmes,including sustainable aviation biofuels. The companies said they would also look at other areasin which they can “work together” in the future.

The announcement coincided with the visit of Brazil’s president to the US and the signing of amemorandum of understanding on an aviation partnership between the two countries. Thispartnership would seek to “expand and deepen co-operation between the two countries on civilaviation, by facilitating the liaison between government agencies and increase private sectorco-operation and awareness, creating economic partnerships and promoting investments”.

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS »

There are lots of risky options in life.Choosing the LEAP engine isn’t one of them.

Emrise Corporation has received a

$1.2m order for electronic devices

and subsystems to be used in in-flight

entertainment and connectivity

(IFE&C) systems.

The Italian Civil Aviation Authority

(ENAC) has issued level D (JAR-FSTD

A) certification for the A320 family

full flight simulator at SuperJet

International’s training centre in

Venice, Italy.

Charter airline CanJet has become

the first Canadian customer of

Boeing’s landing gear exchange pro-

gramme with a service contract cov-

ering 737-800 aircraft.

LOT Polish Airlines has signed Boeing

Shanghai to perform maintenance on

its fleet of 767-300s for the next two

years.

NEWS UPDATE

COLLAPSING AVEOS HITS OUT AT AIR CANADACanadian MRO provider Aveos, which has filed for bankruptcy protection, has blamed maincustomer Air Canada for the loss of $16m revenue over the past two months. The company saysAir Canada reduced, deferred and cancelled maintenance work which Aveos was ready and ableto perform. The MRO says the last-minute offer from Air Canada, submitted on March 19 afterlong-term negotiations, is not enough to rectify the situation and that restructuring will not bepossible under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act (CCAA). Aveos has ceasedCanadian operations, terminated the employment of its employees across the country andbegun liquidating its assets.

THALES AND CETCA ESTABLISH JV FOR C919 IFE SYSTEMThales has entered into a joint venture (JV) with China Electronics Technology Avionics(CETCA), focusing on the C919 aircraft being developed by Commercial Aircraft CorporationChina (COMAC). The centre of excellence will engage in research development, production,adaptation and maintenance for the in-flight entertainment (IFE) market. The JV will supportthe integration of the Thales ‘TopSeries’ system in the C919 cabin. ‘TopSeries’ will offer servicesincluding interactive audio capability and in-seat, on-demand services; a future evolution ofthe product is expected to offer Wi-Fi connectivity. The JV operations are due to begin in 3Q,2012.

EIRTECH ADDS HANGARS IN CZECH REPUBLICIrish refinishing services company Eirtech Aviation has expanded into the Czech Republic withtwo newly constructed hangars in Ostrava. Offices will also be completed at the new location,as well as in Dublin, where hangar facilities include widebody capability. The company’s engi-neering and technical asset management services are based in Shannon.

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS »

Airbus invests in environ-mental R&D Airbus is to invest €2bn in research anddevelopment (R&D) in 2012, with thecompany making a firm commitmentto the environment. The manufacturersaid 90 per cent of this budget wouldbe spent on initiatives beneficial to theenvironment.

Sukhoi Superjet 100 awardedEASA certificateSukhoi Civil Aircraft’s Superjet 100 hasbecome the first Russian passenger air-craft to be approved by the EuropeanAviation Safety Agency (EASA). TheSSJ100 (RRJ-95B) has been awarded theEASA Type Certificate A-176, whichrecognises that the aircraft complieswith EASA’s airworthiness and environ-mental requirements. The certificationmeans that European airlines and carri-ers operating in countries that abide byEASA regulations are now able to oper-ate the aircraft in their fleets.

LEAP

*CFM, LEAP and the CFM logo are all trademarks of CFM International, a 50/50 joint company of Snecma (Safran Group) and GE.

Choosing CFM* to power the A320neo isn’t just playing safe, it’s playing

smart. The CFM history of record-breaking reliability is legendary. Now,

the LEAP engine with its proven architecture and ground-breaking

technology, delivers 15% lower fuel consumption and 15% lower CO2

emissions than the engines it will replace. Don’t jump into the unknown.

Leap into the future.Visit www.cfm56.com/leap

NEWS UPDATE


Facom’s new E.316 series torque and anglewrenches have been designed for functionality andusability, and include an auto-test facility, whichmeans the wrench tests itself prior to use foroptimum accuracy. Users receive audible and visualcues when torque is applied and the ability to storenine preset values allows for staged tighteningprocedures. The range is able to withstandintensive use and will maintain calibration for bothtorque and angles to +/- 2%, is resistant toworkshop chemicals, offers USB computer link-upto download data and preset values. * Visit our booth at AP&M Europe (F1) for a chance to

win this product.

» Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies and SRTechnics — both part of the Mubadala AerospaceMRO network — have signed BAE Systems toprovide repair services and component support fortheir flight critical controls, cabin and cockpitsystems portfolio.

» Hamilton Sundstrand and Air FranceIndustries KLM Engineering and Maintenance(AFI KLM E&M) have signed a long-term repairlicence agreement for the provision of MROservices for Hamilton Sundstrand 787 components.

» StandardAero and A J Walter Aviation havesigned a three-year consignment agreement. Someof AJW’s engine material inventory will be stored atthe MRO provider’s facility in Cincinnati, Ohio.

» Royal Jet of Abu Dhabi has selected Sabenatechnics to conduct a full upgrade for one of its sixBBJs, covering cabin refurbishment, livery paintingand maintenance.

» JetBlue Airways has extended its contract withMTU Maintenance Hannover to cover MROservices on its IAE V2533 engines.

» Norwegian Air Shuttle has signed up forGoldCare support from Boeing. The 12-yearagreement will cover the airline’s future 787 fleet,consisting of three firm 787-8 orders andcommitments to lease three additional 787s.

» Delta Air Lines has signed a range of materialsupport agreements with CFM International foralmost 400 CFM56-7B engines which the airlinehas in service or on order, plus its MRO operationsfor third-party airlines.

» IndiGo has contracted Lufthansa TechnikPhilippines to conduct a series of C4 lease returnchecks for seven A320 aircraft. The work will beginin June 2012 and be completed by the end of theyear.

» Airbus has extended its contract with Saab forthe A320 family aileron to cover the life of theprogramme.

» SriLankan Airlines has selected AFI KLME&M to provide A340 and A330 componentsupport. The contract covers closed-loop repairs forsix of each aircraft type.

» Swiftair of Spain has selected AFI KLM E&M toprovide line maintenance for 737 aircraftin Edinburgh, UK. AFI KLM E&M’s subsidiary, KLMUK Engineering, will be responsible for inspecting,checking and carrying out necessary repairs on theaircraft on a short-term basis.

» First Air has opted to use MRO software fromTrax. The airline will implement ‘e4’, the latestversion of Trax Maintenance. The softwareincorporates over 20 modules designed to facilitatematerial, financial and technical recordsmanagement.

CONTRACTS »

PRODUCTS

» Dublin Aerospace won a three-year contract toprovide France’s Europe Airpost with APUmaintenance for its 737 Classic fleet. The contractcommenced on January 1, 2012.

» Indonesia’s GMF AeroAsia has secured newaircraft maintenance contracts worth $137m. Thecontracts were signed with nine airlines and aircraftleasing companies, including two Indonesiancarriers, Sriwijaya Air and Travira Air.

» Boeing has contracted General Plastics tosupply flight deck and cabin interior componentsfor all models of its 737, 747, 767, 777 and 787aircraft. The contract, which was signed inDecember 2011, is for three years and includes anadditional one-year option.

» Air New Zealand (ANZ) has reached a newservice agreement with StandardAero. The MROvendor will carry out turboprop engine MRO workon all three of ANZ’s regional airlines — EagleAirways, Air Nelson and Mount Cook Airlines.

» Oakenhurst Aircraft Services has won acontract to provide repair services for aviationheadset specialist Sennheiser UK.

» Polish charter airline OLT Express has awardedwheels and brakes supplier TP Aerospace Leasinga five-year component maintenance contract. TPwill provide maintenance, pool access, onsite leaseinventory and a logistics programme for OLTExpress’ current and planned fleet of A319/A320aircraft.

» RAPCO, and its sister company RAPCO FleetSupport, have chosen Component Control’sQuantum Control MRO and Logistics software tosimultaneously manage its manufacturing andMRO operations.

USON is making its pressure decay leak testcalculator available to aerospace engineers andaerospace component product developers. It is thefirst in a family of automated USON NDT testcalculators designed to generate nearlyinstantaneous answers to “What If” modelling ofpressure decay leak testing variables and exactreturns-on-investment from new eight-sensorconcurrent leak testing technology.

Spectroline has launched its MLK-35A ‘MAXIMA’leak detection UV kit, which is designed to pinpointthe exact source of leaks in hydraulic, engine oiland aircraft fuel systems. The kit features‘MAXIMA’ ultraviolet lamp — which can be usedeven in direct sunlight — and an 8oz (237ml) bottleof ‘Aero-Brite’ universal fluorescent dye, whichlocates all leaks in petroleum- and synthetic-basedaviation fluid systems.

Mac Tools has introduced two new additions to itsimpact wrench range: the 3/8” drive AWP038, andAWP050C, a compact version of its 1⁄2 impactwrench. The AWP038 produces 525ft lbs (712Nm)of torque with low vibration levels. The AWP050Ccaters for users who require less power and a morecompact design.

NEWS UPDATE


» Boeing has extended an agreement with MxiTechnologies for the IT company to supply itsMaintenix maintenance management software aspart of the GoldCare programme.

» CTS Engines has signed a purchase and licenseagreement with General Electric for maintenancesupport on its CF34-8E and CF34-10E enginemodels.

» Emirates Airline has extended its existingpartnership agreement with Honeywell until 2019and signed an additional aftermarket contract withthe company.

» AFI KLM E&M has won a contract with CargoAir to provide component support and pool accessfor the airline’s fleet of 737s.

» Air Europa has selected Lufthansa TechnikAERO Alzey to support its fleet of General ElectricCF34-10E engines.

» US Airways has contracted MTU MaintenanceHannover to provide engine maintenance on theCF6-80C2 engines powering its fleet of 767-200aircraft. The multi-year agreement also includes thesupply of engine accessories.

» Monarch Airlines has renewed a contract withAFI KLM E&M in which the MRO companyprovides component support for the airline’s fleetof A330s.

» Singapore low-cost airline Scoot has awardedSTG Aerospace a contract to supply itsphotoluminescent floorpath marking systems.Scoot has ordered ‘SafTGlo ColorMatch’ for itsinitial fleet of four 777-200 aircraft, and has takenoptions to fit the product on all future aircraft.

» Czech Airlines Technics has recently won anumber of new service contracts, including a basemaintenance agreement with NEOS Airlines toundertake checks and modifications on four of thecarrier’s 737NG aircraft.

» Bombardier Aerospace has chosen FokkerServices to help increase the availability andreduce the cost of spare parts for its out-of-production Dash 8/Q-Series 100/200/300 aircraft.Under the agreement, Fokker Services has securedinventory from Bombardier.

» Yemenia Airways has extended its A330component contract with AFI KLM E&M.

» Firefly of Malaysia has selected Messier-Bugatti-Dowty to supply wheels and carbonbrakes for its 737NG fleet. The contract covers 63737-800 aircraft, both new and retrofitted.

» Condor has selected Nayak Aircraft Servicesto supply technical assistance as part of its homebase operation in Cologne, Germany.

» Lufthansa has awarded Goodrich the contractto retrofit LED runway turnoff lights on its fleet ofA319/A320/A321 aircraft. The lights, which offerbetter illumination and improved reliability andwill reduce costs compared with current LED lights,will be integrated into the aircraft nose landing gearin two locations.

» GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes has selectedSITA and its technology partner Flightman toprovide applications and services for the electronicflight bags (EFBs) on its fleet of 737NG aircraft. Thefive-year contract will include ‘e-AircraftApplication Services’ from SITA which helps tointegrate EFB technology with airline IT systems.

PEOPLE

[ Following company restructuring, Sabena tech-nics has appointed Rodolphe Marchais as chair-man of the board and CEO. In turn, Marchaisnamed Jean-Luc Fournel as COO — customers;Philippe Rochet as COO production; andStéphane Burton as COO supply chain & support.The Sabena technics board “paid homage” toChristophe Bernardini, who has served as presi-dent of the executive board since 2006.

[ Holger Sindemann has been appointed MD andSVP at MTU Maintenance Hannover, effective May1, 2012. He takes over from Dr Martin Funk, whohas led the largest of MTU Maintenance’s compa-nies for almost three years. Sindemann joined MTUAero Engines in Munich at the beginning of 2006as SVP, corporate development.

[ Nazario Cauceglia has been appointed as CEO ofSuperJet International, succeeding Carlo Logli.Cauceglia was previously chief technical officer atAlenia Aeronautica.

[ Albert Li has been appointed general managerand head of Bombardier Aerospace China, effec-tive April 2, 2012. Li will succeed Benjamin Boehm,who has been appointed to the role of VP, businessdevelopment and strategy, BombardierCommercial Aircraft.

[ CFM International has named RaymondScodellaro as VP, contracts. He will be responsiblefor the negotiation, execution, and oversight of allCFM customer contracts.

[ AirVault has named James Brunke, RonaldUtecht and Peter Bull as members of its advisoryboard. Brunke will advise the company on logistics,the MRO industry and the future of aviation main-tenance, while Utecht will advise AirVault on theairline and MRO sectors and on improving the useof maintenance data in all aviation sectors. Bull willadvise the company on serving the aviation indus-try in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and on otherstrategic and industry matters

» Aero, a regional airline based in Lagos, Nigeria,has entered into a five-year ABACUS programmewith Fokker Services for its Dash 8 300 turbopropaircraft.

» Metrojet has been granted FAA approval toprovide maintenance for Embraer’s Legacy 600/650and Lineage 1000 aircraft series in April 2012.

» Scandinavian Airlines has chosen Airvault toprovide maintenance records management for itsentire fleet. The carrier has licensed the ‘AirvaultMx Records Management Solution’ for all of its 159aircraft.

» Villa Air of the Maldives has selectedLufthansa Technik AERO Alzey to provide MROsupport for its fleet of PW127F engines.

» LOT Polish Airlines has selected GoodrichCorporation to support the nacelles and thrustreversers of its E195 aircraft powered by CF34-10Eengines. Under the terms of the five-year contract,Goodrich will provide nacelle MRO services forthrust reverser, inlet cowls and nacellecomponents, as well as access to large nacelle partsfor lease or exchange.

» CAE has secured contracts worth more thanC$90m for seven full-flight simulators (FFSs) andtraining equipment, bringing the total number ofFFS sales to 37 for fiscal year 2012.

» AirBaltic of Latvia has selected Sabenatechnics to support the CFM56-3 thrust reverserson its 737 aircraft.

» Southwest Airlines has selected Goodrich tosupply wheels, carbon brakes, MRO services andasset management for its new fleet of 737-800aircraft.

[ Crane has appointed Robert Tavares as presi-dent of Crane Aerospace & Electronics’ electronicsgroup, and David Bender as president of its aero-space group. Bender was previously president ofboth groups. Before joining Crane, Tavares waspresident of e2V, a global provider of technologysolutions for high performance systems. Benderjoined Crane in January 2006 as president of theelectronics group, and had previously spent morethan 24 years with Aerojet General.

Robert Tavares David Bender


INDUSTRY FOCUS

In my opinion:

Franck Terner, president, Air France IndustriesAir France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) has been growing in strength since

the merger between its parent airlines in 2004. Jason Holland visited Paris to get AFI president Franck

Terner’s views on topics as diverse as the future strategy of the company, the impact of aircraft OEMs

entering the aftermarket, and why flying Concorde is a Formula 1 experience.

Can you briefly outline your background inthe aviation industry and how this has ledyou to your current role?

I began my career in aviation nearly 30 yearsago and have been in charge of quite differentthings during that time. In the Air France group,I have been head of component shops and headof short- and medium-haul airframe activity. I pi-loted the Concorde fleet for five years — this wasa “Formula 1” activity. We were a big team. It wasvery exciting to wake up in the morning to workon this very special aircraft! I also had some ap-pointments in strategy and planning. I left themother company in 2002, and at that time the Air

France regional network was made up of threesmall French airlines. When the decision wasmade to merge them, I was appointed to “re-build” all the maintenance systems of the newairline, called Regional, at the time a 70-strongfleet of aircraft, with 400-500 flights a day. So itwas a big thing — but it was just the sum of anumber of small things and not a centralisedevent. Four years later, I was appointed CEO ofthe airline, which is based in Nantes. This was agood experience as it gave me an insight into afull company selling plane tickets — a B2C activ-ity. In January 2010, I was asked to take over at AirFrance Industries from Alain Bassil.

How has this broad range of experiencesshaped the way you see your role as presi-dent?

I have had appointments in all areas of the AirFrance Industries business as well as being CEOof an airline up to now. This provides a good viewof the overall airline and the impact of mainte-nance on day-to-day operations, and the finalcustomer. When you have this experience youknow exactly what makes up a one minute delay!And this is a job that requires experience. Main-tenance activity in general has a big impact onthe final customer — and by this I mean the ac-tual passengers. There is a big interaction with

photo: AFI KLM E&M - Patrick Delapierre

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INDUSTRY FOCUS

the airline too; not just our main company AirFrance itself, but for many airlines in the world.As an operator it is very important that we arethinking about the day-to-day business and thefinal customer. In between there is costs andsafety, but the most important thing is that what-ever I do today, tomorrow morning there will besomeone sitting on a seat on an aircraft and youshould never forget that. Without this customeryou can do whatever you want but there will benothing to maintain, as there will be no aircraftto fly. It is important for me to have experiencedthe whole chain of the “added value” areas in theairline, from maintaining the aircraft, engineer-ing, designing documents, to selling tickets.

What has been the highlight of your careerso far?

Every job I have done has brought a big re-ward. Of course some are particularly exciting —such as flying the Concorde. As far as achieve-ments are concerned, I have been successful inmerging the airlines, rebuilding a maintenancesystem, and on the other side being a key part, Ihope, of the growth of our activities and that isvery exciting. But in my stomach, Concorde wasa great experience and I will never forget that.

What is your personal vision for the company?I look at AFI KLM E&M with fresh eyes be-

cause I have been working in this environmentfor years, but left for eight years. When you leave

something and come back, you have an imagethat everything will be the same — but that’s nottrue. In ten years AFI and KLM E&M have dra-matically evolved. The company as a whole hasbeen growing by ten per cent per year. There wasthe merger, there was a shift to new generationaircraft products — A330s, 777s, 737s, A320s;there was a positioning of the company on bigengines like the GE90. So overall, when you lookat the structure it is very innovative. For example,Air France Industries employees are sendingthousands of ideas to an internal website to im-prove economics, quality, security, health — andother topics. Out of these ideas, 75 per cent areimplemented and lead to a result. We revert tothe people, and tell them if and why the idea isbeing implemented — if it is, we reward them.We have people that are focused on innovationand we encourage that as a structure.

An important thing is that the business itselfis multicultural. Of course, French is French andDutch is Dutch. And I didn’t count how many na-tionalities we have inside AFI KLM E&M, but itis not one or two, that is for sure! If you take AirFrance Industries, by the numbers it is biggerthan KLM E&M, but this isn’t important. Bothare big, structured businesses with huge histo-ries. You have to take into account the vision ofyour partner and this is a very important thingbecause that is the day-to-day life of the business.This multicultural experience is now one of ourstrengths!

How is AFI KLM E&M responding and adapt-ing to the needs of its airline customers?

You cannot impose your view on the cus-tomer. Again, this is the way our people are see-ing the business and we encourage that, and wetry to be adaptive to the customer. The time haspassed when you just sell what you have to sell;now you have to sell exactly what the customerrequires. This is especially so in our environmentwhere there are so many differences in the needsof the customer. A characteristic of our businessis being adaptive to what they want. Nothing isimpossible. We are trying to implement, in thestructure of the business, the ability to adapt tohow the customer wants things done, and I thinkwe have achieved this thanks to the fact that ourpeople are minded like this. A good question iswhat the customer is seeing as a quality result.You have to listen to the customer. All thesethings describe who we are, not what we do.

Where would you say AFI KLM E&M is posi-tioned in the MRO market currently? Howwould you assess the state of the MRO indus-try in general?

We are in a very fast growing environment,which is moving to the East. Anybody can seethat growth will be very high in the East, andlower in Europe and the US. But never forget thatEurope and the US are still the biggest marketsof the world. If you combine this with our sizeand what we do, today we are a key leader of thatmarket; we are clearly number two in this busi-ness if we consider the multi-product MROs. Myvision is that in the next ten-fifteen years therewill be key leaders in the market and we will beamongst them. The clear emerging picture is ofconsolidation, of co-operation — whatever youwant to call it, but we have to be among the keyleaders.

Is the integration between AFI and KLME&M complete and what have the main ben-efits been so far?

The merger was quite a long time ago now, in2004, and we have integrated activities quite well.First we have production centres, activities thathave to be joint going to the customer. If the cus-tomer needs, say, 737 components that are inAmsterdam, and engines for the A380 that are inParis, what should I do? You could send an AirFrance guy one day and a KLM E&M guy another.No way. We have one product and one portfolioand we have a strategy offer that makes sense tothe customer. There is just one entity designingthe strategy, and while every entity is bringing hisown inputs, in the end there is one decision andone strategy, and one joint sales force. Commu-nication to the outside world is very important;there is no way we would talk to the outsideworld with two voices. We have two big produc-

Component maintenance is an important area of activity at AFI KLM E&M.

source: AFI KLM E&M - Patrick Delapierre


INDUSTRY FOCUS

tion centres but in the middle of that we havewhat we call the joint organisation. All this isworking very well. Are we at the end of the inte-gration process? Probably not, there are stillsome improvements to be made, but I think weare pretty well integrated. The main benefits havebeen good growth, the synergies that we canoffer, and to be able to insource many things thatwere previously outsourced. One example is theGE90, which has saved tens of millions.

Has there been any consideration given tochanging the company name to somethingshorter, or arguably more “catchy”?

That’s a good question. The brand is very im-portant, and although it is not the final productyou offer to the customer, it is something that isknown. If I say I am working for Company XYZyou don’t know who that is. With Air France In-dustries KLM E&M you know exactly what I amtalking about. The brand is a very powerful thing,it means something. So I am very reluctant to justchange it. The other thing is that in the brandtoday we have both Air France and KLM in it, andboth are powerful brands. In some parts of theworld KLM is a very highly regarded brand. Inother parts of the world, it is Air France that ishighly valued. Ultimately, the value you put onthe words is very important, so I don’t know if wewill change the brand. For now our brand is quitelong, but quite valuable too!

What kind of year will 2012 be for AFI KLME&M in particular, in terms of general out-look, trends, and challenges?

In 2011, we had a pretty good year. It was a verydifficult year for the community. Obviously, theglobal financial situation has had an impact onour customers and us too. In 2012, we see a slightrecovery as a continuity of 2011 and we are per-forming well with good growth. We signed hugecontracts in 2010 and 2011 and this has an impactand is contributing to our growth — so 2012 willbe a mix of capturing more growth and seeing thecontinued results of our big contracts. Overall,we see big pressure on prices, this was true in 2011and will be even more so in 2012. We see in themarket a big appetite for cash, as cash becomesan issue after years of crisis. Customers are askingfor giant buybacks of their stocks.

Overall, we are very well oriented with goodproducts and growth. I think we are the leader inA330 component support. I think we can also saythat with 777 components, and we are also a keyleader on 737 components. On the A320 there isno big tender without AFI KLM E&M at leastbeing involved and competing. I think we are akey leader on the GE90. We have a big capabilityon the CF6-8OE, one of the engines of the A330s,and on the CFM 56 family. If you add 787 prod-ucts today and A350 tomorrow, we have good

cards on the table and we must play a good game,and be clever with them.

Do you see the aircraft OEMs taking a largeramount of the MRO market by way of theirnetworks? Will it become important to be apart of these networks, such as Goldcare orthe Airbus Flight Hour Services programme?

There is a distinction here between OEMsand what I would call OAMs. First, OEMs –equipment manufacturers – it is a mistake to saythey are coming to the market, they have alwaysbeen in the market. Then the question is, whatlever do you use to push yourself in the market,

and with this we may see slight problems. Thefirst thing is intellectual property (IP). Who candeny the fact that if you invest $100m to designsomething then you have intellectual property. Ido not deny that this has value and that youshould pay for that value. But what is the realvalue? You could say 100 per cent of the value ofthe MRO is the IP of the OEM. In other words,as an MRO, you don’t bring any value to the cus-tomer — but that’s just not true. So yes IP has avalue, but it is not the only value. This issue is im-portant not just for the MROs, but for the finalcustomer. If OEM X says my IP is $200m upfront— then nobody will pay for that. And there isn’t

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INDUSTRY FOCUS

just one OEM on an aircraft. So if you sum upeverything, it becomes a monopoly which is notgood for the final consumer and would not be al-lowed to happen.

The other actor is brand new, the OAMs —namely the aircraft manufacturers. There are notso many of these, but let’s focus on the twobiggest, Airbus and Boeing — what are theyclaiming? ‘We sell the aircraft, who better thanus to maintain it’. That’s a well-known story inother industries. In black and white, from whereI am sitting, they cannot maintain aircraft. Butwe should look at things in a balanced manner.Is there room for them to have an offering? Yes.They will sell, and they already do sell, a smallpart of the overall MRO activities. Will they sell80 per cent of the market? I don’t believe so, formany reasons.

But rather than tell you why they will catch allthe market, I will tell you why we will sell andkeep our market share. What is the added valueof a MRO? When I go to my customers, I comewith a brand, and as an airline one of the key as-sets we have is that we know exactly what the

final consumer wants. Others might not havethat asset. In addition to that, those new playersare developing networks of subcontractors anddon’t insource repairs. Where is the value? Andwhat is the added value of a network that will adda margin to another margin, to ultimately justpost the bill to the final customer? This is not ourmodel, we are insourcing a part of the activityand relying on partners for other parts. We arenot just an office integrating the work of others,we are participating in creating the value as anairline MRO.

Consolidation has occurred in the MRO mar-ket as a result of mergers and acquisitions,with AFI KLM E&M an example, but do yousee further consolidation in this market seg-ment as a result of market forces?

When it comes to consolidation we will see amix. I don’t wish to see anyone on the marketdying, but the weakest will have trouble I think.OEMs will put pressure on the weakest. With thecurrent economic situation, and the growth andconsolidation of the airlines, in the future I be-

lieve MROs will be bigger. By how much? I amnot sure we will see mega-mergers because it’sdifficult for these to happen, it doesn’t take intoaccount so well a multi-cultural environment.

It is fair to say the Air France group faces eco-nomic challenges, as reflected in recent fi-nancial results. What measures and strategieshave you put in place at AFI KLM E&M specif-ically to ensure a bright financial future?

Our contribution to the group results is verypositive. Although we are impacted by the eco-nomic situation of the group, and we have to con-tribute to the recovery trend and thetransformation plan, our role should be to in-crease our economic contribution by drivingdown costs — that’s always the case — increasingour portfolio, and increasing our customer base.That is a matter of consistency as we have beendoing this for years. The group will probably in-crease the efforts put into MRO again because itis a good activity for us. We could probably seemore co-operation between MROs.

Finally, looking further ahead, in what statedo you see the MRO industry being in 10years time? And where do you see AFI KLME&M within this?

In a nutshell, we could have big networks,bigger customers, and we will be one of the bigplayers in a market where airframe maintenancewill probably be more regionalised, with a morebalanced world between East and West. The bignetworks will be worldwide; this is the trend.

“The most important thing is that whatever I do today,

tomorrow morning there will be someone sitting on a seat on

an aircraft and you should never forget that. Without this

customer you can do whatever you want but there will be

nothing to maintain, as there will be no aircraft to fly.”

AFI president Franck Terner says his company is trying to implement, in the structure of the business, the ability to adapt to how the customer wants things done.

source: AFI KLM E&M - Patrick Delapierre

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TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION

Using advancedcomposites in aeroenginesThe large-scale use of carbon-fibre composite materials in the Boeing 787, Bombardier CSeries and

Airbus A350 XWB has generated massive media attention. But much less attention has been paid to a

similar, perhaps even more revolutionary, move towards using advanced composites in commercial aero

engines. Chris Kjelgaard reports.

Airframes aren’t the only commercial-air-craft parts undergoing a materials revolu-tion. The media has given extensive

publicity to the widespread use of carbon-fibre re-inforced plastic (CFRP) structures in new twin-airline and single-aisle aircraft such as the Boeing787, the Bombardier CSeries and the Airbus A350XWB; but the engines powering these aircraft willalso feature CFRP composites to a much greaterdegree than previous commercial turbofans.

Polymer-based composite materials havebeen used in commercial turbofan engines sincethe mid-1980s, when the General Electric CF6-80C2 entered service with unidirectional-prepregoutlet guide vanes and shrouds made from

chopped carbon fibre in an injection-mouldedglass-fibre reinforcing matrix. Use of polymercomposites in subsequent generations of turbo-fans has expanded to the point where the latestengines use CFRP materials extensively for struc-tures such as nacelles, fan cases, liners, thrust re-versers and even fan blades and stators. Thevariable stator stages of some engines’ compres-sors also feature small polymer-based bushings:design engineers prefer them to metal bushingsbecause these press-moulded parts offer lowwear and low friction.

Frank Preli, chief engineer for Pratt & Whit-ney (P&W) Materials & Processes engineering,says P&W “is using a significant amount” of

CFRPs in its commercial engines and that “theutilisation has been steadily increasing over thelast two decades”. For this to happen, P&W hasworked to develop “advanced manufacturingprocesses that ensure high-quality production ofcomplex, multi-functional, monolithic compos-ite hardware”.

The General Electric (GE) GEnx and the Pratt& Whitney PurePower PW1000G Geared Turbo-fan (GTF) are two modern turbofan familieswhich make extensive use of CFRP materials.“The GTF fan case is made of lightweight carbonfibre organic matrix composites,” notes Preli, forexample. Meanwhile, the GEnx family not onlyfeatures CFRP fan cases, but also CFRP fan

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blades. GEnx fan platforms (which sit betweenthe fan blades and guide the inner flowpath ofair through the inner area of the fan) are madefrom a resin transfer moulding (RTM) CFRPprocess.

GE first used composite fan blades in theGE90 family. The introduction of RTM and vac-uum-assisted RTM processes about 10 years ago— along with a new braided-fibre fabric archi-tecture — has allowed the company to design itsnewest engine with CFRP fan blades that featuremore advanced 3-D-swept airfoils while remain-ing at least as strong as the fan blades in GE90engines.

A panel of GE materials experts interviewedby ATE&M — Bob Schafrik, head of GE Avia-tion’s materials department; Dale Carlson, man-ager of engine technology strategies; LesLangenbrunner, manager of polymeric compos-ites technology; and materials engineers Matt

Buzcek and Doug Ward — estimates GE hassaved 350lb in weight in each GEnx engine byemploying a CFRP fan case rather than a fan casemade from traditional aluminium alloy.

Similarly, the GEnx family’s composite fanblades save about 200lb of weight per enginecompared with titanium-alloy fan blades. CFRPstructures such as the GEnx fan case are onlyabout half the weight of equivalent metal-alloystructures. Furthermore, says Schafrik, “impor-tantly for life-cycle cost, they won’t corrode andthey last for the complete lifetime of the engine”.

Meanwhile, says Preli: “There will continue tobe a need to improve fuel burn and efficiency ofjet engines, particularly since the price of oil isexpected to rise over time. Lightweight carbon-composite structures will help achieve additionaltargeted weight reductions, and thus fuel-burnreductions. The increased effective use of carboncomposites will require a combination of designinnovation and further development of manufac-turing processes to achieve the desired perform-ance and affordability metrics required in futureCFRP engine parts.”

Some of GE’s resin transfer mouldingprocesses are proprietary — for instance, the in-fusion moulding it performs to make the GEnxfan case — and some aren’t. But as the companymoves to incorporate third-generation CFRPmanufacturing into its engines, GE — like othermajor engine manufacturers — is already lookingahead to the fourth generation. It is now “looking

“The size of CFRP parts is a game-changer for the repair

process, as traditional autoclave repair techniques are made

more difficult due to the limited availability of large

autoclaves at MRO facilities.”

Phil Griggs, principal engineer and FAA-designated engineering

representative, Steve Deak, senior engineer, composites repair technologies,

and Brian Graham, manager, repair materials applications engineering, GE.

General Electric’s GEnx-1B engine, which makes extensive use of CFRP materials.

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into” the possibility of using CFRPs made withelectrospun carbon nanofibres, as well as othercomposite materials made with nanoparticles ofclay or silica, for advantages in terms of reducedweight and increased strength.

Repair of CFRP engine partsGE and P&W say repairing CFRP parts in en-

gines is of similar complexity to repairing CFRPairframe parts and requires similar repair meth-ods. “Both types of repairs rely on intimate designknowledge for the component service loading andthe material systems that satisfy design intent,”remarks GE’s Phil Griggs, Steve Deak, and BrianGraham. (Griggs is principal engineer and FAA-designated engineering representative; Deak issenior engineer, composites repair technologies;and Graham is manager, repair materials applica-tions engineering.) “Repair methods in both casesmust utilise specific toughened matrix systems inconjunction with the carbon fibre to restore per-formance properties and design intent.”

But both engine manufacturers agree that be-cause engine CFRP parts are generally smallerthan composite airframe structures and havemore complex geometries, they pose differentMRO challenges. “Part features such as flanges,doublers, stiffeners, and holes all contribute to

the complexity of the repair,” notes Lynn Gam-bill, director of P&W Global Services engineer-ing. “Tooling design and process steps mustaccommodate the part size.”

With the introduction of composite fan cases,“engine components are quickly increasing insize,” say the GE engineers. “The size of CFRPparts is a game-changer for the repair process, astraditional autoclave repair techniques are mademore difficult due to the limited availability oflarge autoclaves at MRO facilities.” As a result,“out-of-autoclave repair materials and tech-niques will be increasingly utilised in compositecomponent repair techniques to reduce costswhile increasing the number of MRO shops ca-pable of repairing large components,” they state.

“Another difference is that each specific en-gine component has its own unique set of repairssince it has its own unique design,” the GE engi-neers add. “We can leverage repair processes onthe same part, but each repair may also be uniquebased on the condition of the part when it comesto the MRO shop. Airframers publish structuralrepair manuals that include general repairs onsome composite parts.”

However, says P&W’s Gambill: “The inspectionmethods [for engine and airframe CFRP parts] arelikely to be similar, with part use determining the



composite repair permitted. The typical repairmethod for either engine or airframe would involveremoval of damaged plies by taper sanding, clean-ing the repair area, cutting the pre-impregnatedfabric to size, laying the fabric on the part, vacuumseal and cure in autoclave, then cosmetic finishing.”

MRO shops won’t need to learn differentCFRP composite-repair skills and techniques forengine parts as compared to airframe parts, Gam-bill believes. “However, the skill required to workwith smaller more complex shapes is [at] a higherlevel than large flat surfaces. The resin systems,such as epoxy versus bismaleimide (BMI), changethe techniques and equipment. Epoxy-based car-bon fibre and BMI-based carbon fibre both existin either application, engine or airframe. MROshops such as Pratt & Whitney AutoAir are cur-rently capable of repairing epoxy or BMI parts.”

As an executive committee member of theATA/IATA/SAE Commercial Aircraft CompositeRepair Committee (CACRC), GE’s Griggs empha-sises the need for standardisation of repair tech-niques, materials, and training between theairframers and engine manufacturers. CACRChas published a series of ‘Aerospace Recom-mended Practices and Aerospace Material Spec-ification’ documents describing standardtechniques and materials that OEMs can incor-porate into their manuals. MROs then only needto learn one standard method and will be able tostock fewer material types.

Inspection and monitoringGambill says typical inspection methods for

airframe and engine CFRP parts “are commonand include visual inspection and tap testing.More complex inspection methods may includea-scan, c-scan, x-ray, laser shearography, andacoustic impedance. If the engine parts are on-wing, tap testing would not be possible due tospace constraints.”

However, differences exist in how the healthand condition of engine and airframe CFRP partsare monitored, and the types of damage the twoclasses of parts incur, the GE engineers think. “Anengine’s major composite parts are visible. Oper-ators can identify damage by looking in the inletor opening the cowl doors. Even if the damage isminimal, most of it can be easily spotted,” theynote. “It is more difficult to see damage on an air-craft’s tail section on a walk-around because ofthe distance from the observer to the damage.”

“Additionally, engine components in theflowpath may also encounter damage from birdstrikes and ice as well as erosion from grit andrain,” say Griggs, Deaks, and Graham. “The fullextent of some damage may not be readily ob-served from visual inspection and will requirenon-destructive evaluation (NDE) techniques toassess the extent of subsurface damage.”

Furthermore, they add, “the serviceability re-

quirements may be more stringent than what ison an airframe because of the speed of the rotat-ing parts in the engine. While airframe compo-nents may be repaired using doublers and similarmethods on the non-flowpath surface, enginecomponents such as the fan blade must be re-stored to correct dimensional contours on bothconvex and concave surfaces for aero perform-ance, making the repairs more complex. As fibre-and tape-placement manufacturing techniquesreplace traditional ply stack-ups, repair for CFRPwill become more complex.”

However, engine and airframe CFRP parts willusually be monitored — and damage incurredand found — in the same ways, believes Gambill.“Wear, lightning strikes, thermal degradation(burning), broken fibres, and impact can be seenvisually. Delaminations or disbonds typically arefound by tap test. Oversized holes are typicallyfound by visual or dimensional inspection. Itdoesn’t make a difference if the part is for an en-gine or an airframe.”

Ceramic matrix compositesComing generations of turbine engines for

airliners will begin making use of an entirely dif-ferent class of composite materials not found in

Mach 0.3 burner rig oxidation of cylindrical

‘Hexoloy’ monolithic silicon carbide specimens

held in a spinning carousel.

source: NASA Glenn Research Center



airframes: ceramic matrix composites (CMCs).When the CFM International LEAP-1A engineenters service in 2016 and the LEAP-1B in 2017,both LEAP versions will, at the very least, featureCMCs in the static shroud structures of their tur-bine sections, according to GE.

As is normal in the development of aero-enginetechnology, CMC research first focused on — andwas funded for — military jet engines. Engine-ma-terials engineers first began thinking seriously ofincorporating CMCs into jet engines around 1985.Now, designers routinely use CMCs in high-thrustmilitary engines and are increasingly focusing onusing CMC parts in commercial engines.

They are doing so because CMC materials arevery light (a CMC turbine blade would be, for in-stance, one-third the weight of an equivalent su-peralloy blade), very strong, and highlytemperature-resistant. Some CMCs also retaintheir strength better than do metal superalloys atthe very high temperatures found in the hot sec-tions of modern jet engines.

“It’s the toughest design environment in theworld, hotter even than the inside of a nuclear re-actor,” says GE’s Schafrik. Without extensive useof thermal barrier coatings and cooling air bledfrom the compressor — air which, at several hun-dred degrees Fahrenheit, is only cool relative tothe temperature of the air flowing from the com-bustor through the turbine stages — today’s su-peralloy parts would simply melt.

“The idea is that CMCs would replace currentmaterials in hot parts of the engine,” explains Dr.Joseph Grady, chief of the Ceramics Branch atNASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland,Ohio. “By virtue of [CMCs] requiring less coolingair [than do today’s superalloy parts in enginecores], this increases the efficiency of the engineby decreasing the amount of cooling air and thuspower extracted” from the compressor in orderto cool the combustor lining, turbine stages —particularly those in the high-pressure turbine(HPT) — and turbine nozzle.

SiC/SiC looks promisingSeveral different types of CMC material are

useful for turbine-engine applications. Amongthem are composites of carbon fibre in a siliconcarbide matrix, and of silicon oxide-fibre in a sil-icon oxide matrix. Parts made from oxide-oxideCMCs have potential uses at the back of the en-gine — where temperatures are lower, but stillquite high — as exhaust flaps, seals and mixers.GE uses a carbon-fibre/silicon carbide CMC tomake exhaust seals in the F414 fighter engine.But the CMC material which is garnering thegreatest attention is a composite of silicon car-bide fibres in a silicon carbide matrix. Known as“SiC/SiC”, this CMC can resist temperatures of2,400 degrees Fahrenheit without degrading.

Researchers at the engine companies and atthe NASA Glenn Research Center are developing

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new environmental barrier coatings (EBCs)which, when applied over the surface of aSiC/SiC part, allow it to resist a temperature of2,700 degrees F. Since temperatures in the coresof modern turbofan engines reach 3,000 degreesF, this means the combustor lining, the HPTstages and turbine nozzle only need to find anadditional 300 degrees F of heat resistance to beable to withstand the local temperature environ-ment. This resistance will still need to comefrom compressor-derived cooling air — butmuch less of it will be required than is used forcooling today’s superalloy turbine and combus-tor parts.

Grady says NASA Glenn’s calculations showthat using a 2,700-degree-capable CMC materialin the HPT of a subsonic commercial enginecould reduce fuel burn by as much as six per cent.Even more impressive is the 33 per cent potential

reduction in oxides of nitrogen (NOx) that NASAGlenn believes is possible from using CMC ma-terial in turbines and combustor linings. Today’ssuperalloy combustor linings require lots of cool-ing air to given them sufficient long-term dura-bility, and this air reacts with the igniting fuel toproduce NOx. A combustor made of CMC com-posite material would need less air for cooling, soless air would be present to react with burningfuel to form NOx emissions.

According to Grady, in future commercial en-gines CMC parts could be particularly useful inreplacing metal turbine blades and vanes. Notonly do turbine blades operate in a very-high-temperature environment, but they rotate veryrapidly round the high- or low-pressure turbinedisks and are subject to extremely high air pres-sures. The inter-stage turbine vanes, meanwhile,have to deal with very high air pressures as theystraighten out the airflow from the turbinestages. All this subjects these parts to very highstresses, which the combustor — with no movingparts — doesn’t have.

NASA Glenn has made the turbine its pri-mary CMC research focus, since the turbine rep-resents the highest-stress case for CMC

“A current focus is on evaluation of the applicability of

existing NDE techniques to the detection of the unique

composite behaviour exhibited by CMCs at their material

limits.”

Lynn Gambill, director, P&W Global Services engineering.

GE’s GEnx-2B engine during wind tunnel tests at Peebles.



materials in terms of the combination of oper-ating temperature and material strength re-quired. If turbine CMC development and testingis successful, similar application to the combus-tor should be feasible.

Together with the weight reductions whichCMC parts in engine hot sections could makepossible, the “fundamental cooling flow reduc-tions” they would also produce would have a“pervasive impact” on the engine’s thermal effi-ciency and cycle, say GE’s materials engineers.Engines could become lighter but much more ef-ficient, so thrust-to-weight ratios would increase.

Olivier Longeville, VP of strategy and marketfor CFM International partner Snecma, suggestsCMC usage in the LEAP engine family could gobeyond static shrouds. Snecma has tested aCFM56-5C engine with a low-pressure turbinestage modified by replacement of several alloyblades with CMC turbine blades, and plan to in-stall a full stage of CMC blades, as well as vanes,in future testing.

Longeville says the CFM International partnershave also tested CMC material in the combustorliner and in the HP core. In the next generation ofthe LEAP engine, “it is possible this technologymay be used for those parts where cracking hap-

pens,” remarks Longeville. He says CFM Interna-tional is “definitely looking at the HP core” forCMC use in future LEAP versions, “to improve di-rectional airflow, efficiency and durability”.

CMC repair challengesCMC engine parts will present the commer-

cial MRO industry with a new set of repair chal-lenges. “Health monitoring and repairtechniques for CMC hardware are at a very earlydevelopmental stage,” says Gambill. “A currentfocus is on evaluation of the applicability of ex-isting NDE techniques to the detection of theunique composite behaviour exhibited by CMCsat their material limits. There is a sound, well-de-veloped understanding of repair processes formetal alloy parts. Repair development, bothprocess and application, are needed for CMCparts.”

However, GE believes health monitoring forCMCs will be no different than for metallic com-ponents. “Just as we did for metallic material parts,we have development programmes in place forunique inspection, cleaning methods, and repairprocesses on CMC parts,” the GE engineers say.“CMCs, when compared to metal alloys, presentunique challenges for NDE. The focus is to reliably

assess the integrity of the barrier coatings as wellas the CMC substrate in the field. We believe thiswill be done in a similar manner as metal-alloyparts, including borescope, UT, CT and dimen-sional assessment for continued service.”

GE believes that ultimately CMCs will offergreater value to operators than metal-alloy parts.“CMC parts are capable of withstanding theharsh engine environment and make the enginelighter with improved performance capability,”say Griggs, Deak and Graham. “This also allowsthe wing structure to be lighter. This will drivedown cost of ownership for our customers as wellas engine life-cycle costs.”

But current metallic components benefitfrom many decades of development, manufac-turing, and operational experience, Gambillnotes. “The challenge is to develop CMCs and themanufacturing infrastructure to achieve similarlevels of reliability. P&W is investigating thelong-term effects of environmental exposure onCMCs and the processing steps needed to ensurerobust systems for stability and durability.Unique degradation modes of CMCs require con-current material and design development to mit-igate these effects.” The proof will be in thepudding, as the proverb says.

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Super sensing: Air data systemsAir data systems are the “eyes and ears” of an aircraft, collecting and processing information about

conditions such as airspeed pressure, altitude pressure, angle of attack (AOA) and temperature in order

to give the pilot a comprehensive picture of the flying environment. Now, the technology is moving

toward digital, electronic and lightweight designs.

“Is it a bird, is it a plane?” is the famous lineabout Superman. But rather than conflat-ing aircraft with birds or super heroes, the

most appropriate analogy to use is that of theshark. These creatures are well known for the ex-traordinary sensory acuteness which enables themto negotiate their way through the marine environ-ment. Similarly, the nose, and to some extent thebody, of an aircraft is loaded with high-tech equip-ment measuring characteristics such as airspeedpressure, altitude pressure, angle of attack (AOA)and temperature. These are the air data systems(ADS) which provide the flight control system andthe pilot with critically important informationabout the condition of the aircraft as it movesthrough the sky, thus helping to ensure safe flight.

“Air data systems are composed of pitot, staticprobes, angle of attack, temperature probes, sideslip angle and pressure sensors which are locatedin different parts of the aircraft,” explainsChristophe Picco, head of product marketing forcommercial avionics, Thales. In a typical air datasystem, the information collected by the sensorsis processed by air data computers (ADCs) or acombination of air data modules (ADMs) and airdata inertial reference units (ADIRUs). Temper-ature and pressure are the two main characteris-tics which are analysed in this way, individuallyand in multiple formulations.

“An ADC is a single line replacement unit(LRU) device that uses measurements frompressure sensors to calculate typical air data

outputs,” explains Aileen McDowall, technicalsales director, EMEAI at Honeywell Aerospace.Meanwhile, an ADM such as the single-sensorHoneywell application for A320, A330, A340 andMD-10 aircraft, is an LRU that “converts thesensed pressure into a digital representationwhich is electronically transmitted to theADIRU to perform the ADC calculations”, statesMcDowall. In addition to the air data reference(ADR) component which processes calculationsfor airspeed, Mach, AOA, temperature andbarometric altitude data, the inertial reference(IR) element of the ADIRU handles altitude,flight path vector, ground speed and positionaldata, for which gyroscopes and accelerometersprovide the raw data.

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There are generally three ADIRUs sitting inthe electronic rack (E-bays) of the aircraft; onefor the pilot, one for the co-pilot and one redun-dant unit. The ADM-ADIRU combination, plusa control display unit (CDU) in the cockpit, canbe referred to as the air data inertial referencesystem (ADIRS) architecture.

From a maintenance perspective, McDowallstates that the ADMs of large commercial aircraftcan be removed for repair or replacement in ap-proximately one hour, while periodic pressurechecks can be accomplished without removal.ADIRUs do not require defined periodic mainte-nance but can be exchanged “swiftly and effi-ciently” in less than five minutes, she says,courtesy of quick disconnect clamps. Aspokesperson from Rockwell Collins adds that itis not necessary to access an ADC for the biennialrecertification efforts required by the FederalAviation Administration (FAA) in accordancewith federal aviation regulations (FAR).

Which ADS?

From an operational point of view, McDowallsays that the two main options of ADC and ADM-

ADIRU provide the same experience for pilotsand that “the true decision [for operators] is thatof architecture preference related to the sophis-tication of the integration, installation and main-tenance required”.

According to McDowall, the ADM-ADIRUsystem tends to feature in highly integratedavionics packages, with the single-channelADMs located in close proximity to the externalpressure probes, thus minimising the pneumaticconnections between the pitot and static probesand the ADMs. The result is that “installation,leak checking and maintenance may be less com-plex than most ADC installations,” she states.McDowall reports that the ADMs are, however,generally “highly reliable” and require minimalmaintenance, enabling their placement in “chal-lenging” locations near the aircraft skin. She saysthe more straightforward ADC option is selectedwhere simplified or point products are used “andin smaller applications, where space is at an ab-solute premium”, with the external probes lo-cated near the ADC to minimise the pneumatictubing.

Picco notes that there is “always a trickytrade-off” between the ideal position of the airdata equipment and the availability of space inthe fuselage. He speaks from a position of ex-perience, as the Thales product line rangesfrom business aircraft applications all the wayup to the A350 XWB aircraft which is still in de-velopment. For the A350 XWB, Thales is sup-

“The true decision [for operators selecting ADS] is that of

architecture preference related to the sophistication of the

integration, installation and maintenance required.”

Aileen McDowall, technical sales director, EMEAI at Honeywell Aerospace

Left: A pitot sensor from HARCO. Right:An ADIRU from Thales.

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plying an ADIRU which is based on an inertialmeasurement unit technology comprising asingle tri-axis ring laser gyro element calledPIXYZ and three new-generation micro ac-celerometers (MICAL NG). Together with spe-cial hybridisation algorithms with globalnavigation satellite system (GNSS) receivers,these technologies will allow the aircraft to f lyvery precise and complex trajectories, helpingto minimise fuel use and noise pollution. Piccosays the ‘Topflight’ ADIRU overcomes the“multi-path and obstacle constraints inherentto GNSS usage”. In particular, the system isgeared up to handle the upcoming Single Euro-pean Sky Air Traffic Management Research(SESAR) and NEXTGEN air traffic managementroadmaps.

In contrast to a large widebody such as theA350 XWB, Picco says that smaller aircraft re-quire “more ingenious” system integration. Theydo, however, typically need fewer ADMs. Mc-Dowall says that, while large commercial aircraftmay use as many as eight ADMs, the primaryADS of business and general aviation aircraft “iscomposed of two dual-channel ADMs supple-mented with an independent dual-channel al-timeter for standby”. In summary, McDowall saysthe number of ADMs is dependent on severalfactors including: aircraft type; the number of

pneumatic channels within each ADM; the pres-ence or absence of static port cross-plumbing;and the architecture needed to meet availabilityand integrity requirements.

Nathan Brusius, director of air data systemsengineering, Goodrich, observes that ADS re-quirements “are largely driven by an aircraft’sperformance needs, rather than size and speed”.He says the ADS architecture is broadly similaracross aircraft types and adapted to meet specificrequirements. Brusius specifies fly-by-wire(FBW) capability and critical wing stall marginas two examples of aircraft characteristics whichinfluence ADS design. Ultimately, the sophisti-cation of the ADS depends on the wider deci-sions of the airframe original equipmentmanufacturer (OEM). As Brusius notes, if the air-craft OEM “wants to use more of the perform-ance envelope, the aircraft will need higherquality air data to keep the aircraft in a safe enve-lope”.

McDowall agrees that, while reliability andmeasurement stability are common concerns,customers “might have differing needs for accu-racy” and that air data requirements are “basedon the airframer’s error budget allocation to eachof the constituent elements”. This includes staticsource error correction (SSEC) quality, pneu-matic leakage and probe or port wear.

Thales will provide an ADIRU for the A350 XWB.



Goodrich has developed a trade study analysistool to help customers to identify the most ap-propriate ADS for different aircraft types. Brusiussays the tool is unbiased and that Goodrich’s‘SmartProbe’ — a combined probe and ADC —is not necessarily the automatic choice of ADSbecause some smaller aircraft “do not have theneed for the performance level and redundancyof the ‘SmartProbe’”.

The latest ADS

The spokesperson for Rockwell Collins statesthat, while there are still some analogue ADS inuse which require support, most ADS today aredigital solutions. Whereas analogue signals arehardwired to their destination, digital signals use“communication buses” with standardisedspeeds and protocols of transmission. For exam-ple, the Rockwell Collins ‘ADS-3000’ is an all-dig-ital system with Aeronautical Radio Inc (ARINC)429 outputs. The spokesperson is confident thatthe digital transition will continue, and that“emerging digital technologies are allowing forimproved capability and accuracy”. He says thatthe company’s current product line, encompass-ing the ‘ADC-3000’, ‘ADC-3010’ and ‘ADC-3020’models, “have incrementally made improve-ments in accuracy, reduced maintenance cost,improved reliability, or enhanced performance”.

From “a big picture standpoint”, says Brusius,electronic — rather than pneumatic — systemsare the future for ADS. In his opinion, improve-ments in size, weight and cost reductions “aremaking the technology more attractive to endusers, and this helps drive economies of scale”.Goodrich’s ‘SmartProbe’, for example, is a whollyelectronic system which is available for A350,A380, CSeries, Learjet 85, Phenom and Legacyaircraft, plus a number of military and helicopterapplications. As the system is electronic, thereare no pneumatic connections, so there is noneed for pressure and leak checks.

According to Brusius, there are a number ofadvantages to ‘SmartProbe’ during installationand maintenance: interchangeability which elim-inates the need for on-aircraft calibration; pinswhich automatically align the probe; and line re-placement which is achievable in a matter of min-utes. Operationally speaking, the probe offersextra protection from icing by means of an inte-gral heating monitor as well as an external heatingelement. Furthermore, whereas a typical ADS hastriple redundancy, ‘SmartProbe’ is “quadplex”,composed of four independent ADS and two dif-ferent formats. “It can be thought of as two type Adesigns with unique software from one designteam, and two type B designs with dissimilar soft-ware and design,” explains Brusius. “This adds dis-similarity and avoids the potential for a commonmode fault,” he states. This philosophy improvesboth safety and dispatch reliability. Overall,

Goodrich’s ‘SmartProbe’ is billed as delivering a35 per cent increase in system reliability com-pared with typical ADS, a 25 per cent improve-ment in operational readiness, and lifecycle costreductions stemming from a maximum compo-nent count reduction of 65 per cent and a 40 percent reduction in maintenance costs. Goodrichcontinues to develop the technology and the lat-est versions of ‘SmartProbe’ can be used to antic-ipate gust loads and automatically adjust flightcontrol surfaces to provide a smoother flightwhich is “easier on the aircraft as well as the peo-ple inside of it,” says Brusius. Goodrich’s ADS of-

fering for the in-development A350 XWB hasbuilt on the mature design on the A380 and fea-tures similar multi-functionality to reduce LRUcounts, eliminate pneumatic plumbing, cut costs,and boost reliability. The company expects to cer-tify its fourth generation ‘SmartProbe’ in thethird quarter of 2012.

As well as a shift toward electronic systems,Brusius tips predictive maintenance capability as“a strong candidate for incorporation into thenext product generations”, although decisionsabout system diagnostics lie with the aircraftOEM. Currently, he says most ADS perform two



diagnostic procedures to confirm viability: theinitial power-up self-test which checks memoryand internal functions and continuous built-intest (CBIT) during operation. ADS feed themaintenance computer of the aircraft with infor-mation about any system failures. He says thatimproving such diagnostic capability is “a con-tinuous process”.

A third ADS trend is a reduction in size andweight, irrespective of whether the system is elec-tronic or pneumatic. This development falls intoline with weight-saving efforts being made acrossthe board by airframers and systems manufactur-ers. “In general,” says McDowall, “we are con-stantly challenged to reduce the air data systemweight for each aircraft.” Most Honeywell ADMsand ADCs now weigh less than two pounds versusprevious versions which were over ten pounds,while Goodrich and Rockwell Collins both saythey can offer 50 per cent weight reductions overtheir previous products. In particular, McDowallsays the focus is “increasingly” moving “from ADMand ADC weight optimisation to air data systemoptimisation which includes the plumbing andwiring associated with the ADMs and ADCs”.

Picco says that integration is one of the most“straightforward” methods of reducing theweight of ADS equipment and that multi-func-tion probe architecture provides “an elegant so-lution” to the challenge. Such designsincorporate within one piece of equipment thepitot and AOA measurements, pneumatic to dig-

ital data conversion, and sometimes air data cal-culation or consolidation. Optional configura-tions include the static pressure and total airtemperature. Picco points out that reducing thenumber of pneumatic lines, which simplifies op-erational maintenance, has “a direct impact onmaintenance costs for the airlines”. He says thistype of architecture has become “an almost defacto standard on high-end business jets and isstrongly entering into the air transport market onmost recent aircraft”.

US-based ADS developer HARCO, for exam-ple, offers fully integrated probes which eliminatethe need for pneumatic connections and addi-tional computers, focusing especially on smalleraircraft. Richard Hoyt, marketing manager at thecompany, says that such designs generate cost sav-ings by reducing the integration time, eliminatingthe need for additional LRUs and pneumatic leaktesting “and associated troubleshooting”.HARCO’s product range includes outside air tem-perature (OAT) sensors, heated static ports, pitotprobes, pitot angle of attack, pitot static probesand TAT sensors. The company uses patented‘SIMx’ material to deliver enhanced icing protec-tion and extend the product lifetime. The probesinclude overheat protection, which Hoyt saysmakes them “ideal” for use on composite aircraft.

HARCO also offers a series of ADCs, includingthe new ‘Mini ADC’ for general aviation, unmannedaerial vehicles (UAVs) and helicopter applicationswhich weighs around 0.68lbs and has a maximum

Goodrich has invested in a new wind tunnel at its base in Minnesota which will become fully operational by the end of 2012.

Goodrich’s fourth generation ‘SmartProbe’, which

is due to be certified in the third quarter 2012.



power consumption of 0.05 amperes. The ADC isavailable with either ARINC 429 or RS485 commu-nication protocol with two independent channels,with accuracy of AS8002 or RSVM.

The FAA and ADS

OEMs are not the only organisations changingthe shape of the ADS market, with their techno-logical innovations aimed at making the systemslighter, more accurate, more reliable and moreeconomical. As is always the case with aviationequipment, there is a heavy regulatory aspect in-volved. One of the biggest threats to the integrityof an ADS, and thus the aircraft as a whole, origi-nates from the very conditions the technology isrequired to measure: ice. The possible conse-quences of ice accumulation in such systems weredemonstrated as recently as June 12, 2009, whenAir France flight 447, an A330, crashed into theocean off Brazil with no survivors. The incidentwas attributed in part to the blocking of the pitotsensors by thick ice crystals, causing an insulatingeffect and false airspeed readings.

The FAA is now moving to expand its icingcertification standards to include a requirementfor aircraft manufacturers to demonstrate safeoperation in the freezing drizzle or rain which is

termed “supercooled large drops” (SLDs). Withinthe new regulations there will be stipulations forADS components including AOA and airspeedindicating systems. “These systems would needto be able to perform in freezing rain, freezingdrizzle, ice crystals and combinations of theseicing phenomena,” stated the FAA in June 2010.

Brusius says that Goodrich has been “invest-ing proactively” to accommodate the FAA’s “sig-nificant expansion” of icing standards. Thisincludes the construction of an icing wind tunnelat the Goodrich Sensors and Integrated Systems(SIS) base in Minnesota. “The tunnel is currentlyundergoing extensive testing, and is expected tobe operational for appendix D (ice crystal) test-ing at the end of 2012,” according to Brian Math-eis, manager of wind tunnel facilities atGoodrich. He says the new tunnel “will providesome of the most advanced speed, altitude, andicing testing capabilities in the world”.

Through these kinds of efforts by industryleaders and the regulatory authorities, it can behoped that serious incidents involving the mal-functioning of ADS equipment will be prevented,and that the sensors and systems guiding aircraftthrough the sky continue to prove themselves su-pernaturally acute.

Air France flight 447 crashed near Brazil in 2009.


Landing gear MROLanding gear support the entire weight of an aircraft on the ground, enduring immense pressure on

take-off and touchdown. In the midst of a market downturn, Joanne Perry asks two OEMs and three

MROs what maintenance is required to keep landing gear serviceable and how this will be impacted by

new materials and technologies such as titanium, composites and HVOF.

ENGINEERING & MAINTENANCE

In September last year, the International AirTransport Association (IATA) released ‘TheImpact of September 11 2001 on Aviation’, a

10-year review of the World Trade Center terroristattacks. The report states that passenger trafficand airline revenues, which plummeted in the af-termath of the disaster, recovered to 2000 levelsin 2004, while profitability returned in 2006. Su-perficially, it may seem that the main legacy ofSeptember 11 is the stringent airport securitywhich today burdens both the aviation industryand the paying public. However, over a decadelater certain sections of the aftermarket are stillexperiencing adverse effects on work volume andrevenues; landing gear is one of them.

Mike Secord, VP of aftermarket, GoodrichLanding Gear, says that demand for commerciallanding gear overhaul is currently “in a trough”because the typical time between overhaul(TBO) is ten years, “and aircraft deliveries de-clined significantly following the events of 9/11,just over a decade ago”. Thierry Schwab, programand customer support VP at Revima in Franceagrees that the market is “tough”, although headds that the company is inducting gears at a“steady” rate in comparison with 2011, when itperformed 400-plus overhauls.

Looking in detail at the landing gear market,however, there are some subtle undercurrentsarising from the shape of the fleets which are cur-

rently in operation. While acknowledging anoverall “plateau”, Andreas Tielmann, head oflanding gear services, Lufthansa Technik (LHT),notes “significant shifts between aircraft typesand world regions”. He gives the example of risingdemand for CRJ-700/-900 and A340-600 landinggear overhauls “while requirements for otherfleets are decreasing”. There are also geographicvariations: “For [the] E-Jet 170-195, where we seegenerally rising demand, we expect this to occurin North America first and slightly later in Eu-rope,” he states. Charles Thoyer-Rozat, EVP, cus-tomer support and services, Liebherr-Aerospace& Transportation, explains that E-Jet gears forwhich Liebherr is the original equipment manu-

photo: Lufthansa Technik



facturer (OEM) “are progressively reaching theirTBO, which is a combination of flight cycles andyears of utilisation”.

In the opinion of Thoyer-Rozat, the picturegenerated by the “theoretical worldwide work-load” is complicated by airline business strate-gies. “Some like to anticipate and level-load theworks in order to avoid the risk of going througha peak,” he says, “while others will prefer to flyuntil they reach the TBO threshold and turnmost of their gears in a short period of time.” Formaintenance providers, this not only affects workvolumes but requirements for rotable landinggears to support overhaul, which can have aknock-on effect on manufacturers. “If those rota-bles do not exist in the open market, they mustbe produced by the OEM, with a typical lead timeof circa 18 months,” states Thoyer-Rozat.

Pastor Lopez, GM, AAR Landing Gear Serv-ices, which normally overhauls between 800 and900 legs each year, believes maintenanceproviders will be feeling the effects of the dip indemand for another six months to a year, al-though the market is already “softening up a littlebit”. He says that when the market does rebound

demand will be “much higher” than it has beenin recent years.

In connection with the lagged effect on de-mand, the length of landing gear TBO affects thetypes of support supplied by maintenanceproviders. Schwab says that because airlines aregenerally unwilling to sign up to very long-termcommitments, Revima offers time and materialscontracts for landing gears. He describes this af-termarket sector as “definitely a different busi-ness model” from engine maintenance, for whichpower-by-the-hour (PBH) is a popular option.Similarly, AAR bids an all-inclusive price to air-lines which covers labour and materials. Thoyer-Rozat says that, although certain customers stillprefer time and materials contracts, the generaltrend is towards fixed rates “related to an agreedbasic scope of work with ‘over and aboves’ thatremain priced on time and material”.

According to Secord, Goodrich — the OEMfor 737, 747, 767, and 777 landing gears as well asthose for the A380 and the CRJ700/900/1000 —offers a range of support contracts. “In mostcases,” he explains, “we contract with the airlinefor their fleet of aircraft, and this involves a long-term contract for basic overhaul/restoration.” Inaddition to the full services offered in its repairshops, Goodrich performs on-wing maintenancefor landing gear, although Secord says this is lim-ited to “basic maintenance and removal of simpleparts for repairs”. Schwab explains that, outsidethe overhaul remit, maintenance providers may

“Landing gear is definitely a different business model than

engine maintenance.”

Thierry Schwab, program and customer support VP, Revima

Left: A Liebherr E170/190 nose gear in a test rig. Right: An LHT worker tends to a landing gear component.



be called out on aircraft-on-ground (AOG) mis-sions to perform inspections or correct problemssuch as chrome chips or leaking gaskets, or con-duct corrosion repairs. AAR, for example, has es-tablished dedicated ‘Tiger Teams’ for suchpurposes.

LHT’s services are offered in the form of ‘TotalLanding Gear Support’ (TLS) contracts whichcover all landing gear requirements, not onlyoverhaul but the tracking of life limited parts(LLPs), line replaceable unit (LRU) schedulingand AOG assistance. According to Tielmann, themost common customer requirement is sched-uled overhaul with forward exchange of a re-placement gear to prevent any delay in the returnof the aircraft to revenue service. The LHT group,which has included landing gear specialistHawker Pacific Aerospace since 2002, overhaulsabout 1,000 legs per year, “a good balance be-tween narrow, wide bodies and regional landinggears,” says Tielmann.

Turnaround times

At the most basic level, the time taken tooverhaul a landing gear is dependent upon theproduct type including its broad categorisationas a regional, narrowbody or widebody compo-nent. Lopez says that at ARR, regional aircraftlanding gears such as those on CRJs and ERJs canbe overhauled in 20-25 days, while an A320 geartakes around 25 days and the gear of a widebodysuch as a 767 requires about 40 days. Other pri-mary factors are the age of the gear, as it affectscondition, and the intensity of usage.

From a procedural point of view, turnaroundtime (TAT) is governed by the capabilities and or-ganisation of the maintenance provider. Lopezsays that AAR operates a continuous improve-ment programme which is led full-time by fourindustrial engineers. A key element of this driveto enhance services is the alignment of the pro-gramme with the IT resources which are used toreduce TATs. These include metrics displays ineach department showing the time that a com-ponent spends in any area of the repair facility.Based on these measurements, Lopez says AARsets up “a goal line every month “and if we areable to impact it in a positive manner, then we re-duce that goal for the following month”.

Schwab explains that enterprise resourceplanning (ERP) solutions help to establish an ap-propriate “tempo” of work, locating parts notonly physically but in the overall schedule, thuscreating a “global picture” of a gear. At LHT, Tiel-mann says that since the amount of work re-quired varies across the landing gear assembly,the company operates a customised productionscheduling and prioritisation system which en-ables a focus on “critical path items”. He says thatLean principles also reduce waste in all overhaulprocesses.

Describing how Revima uses Lean philoso-phies, Schwab comments: “When we enter agear into our facility the idea is that the gear isimmediately inspected, washed, dismantled,inspected and parts which require repairs aresent to the repair shop as soon as possible.” Ahigh level of technical knowledge enables thepinpointing of components which requiremost attention during maintenance. “At thesame time we are already thinking about finalassembly,” he says, adding that preparation ofthe appropriate documentation begins in ad-vance. A central tenet of Lean philosophy is to

LHT’s services are performed under ‘Total

Landing Gear Support’ (TLS) contracts.



ensure that work is performed correctly firsttime. In Schwab’s words, “zero rework is a keydriver”.

AAR keeps a tight grip on TATs and the qual-ity of the end product by performing as many re-pairs as possible in-house. “One of the thingswe’re lucky [with] and we’re proud of is the factthat we control our own destiny 99 per cent,”states Lopez. “The only things we farm out are[components] that are proprietary to a specificOEM.” This can include special liners, he says.But the advantages of avoiding subcontractors onthe whole are clear: the company does not haveto rely on external deliveries and can serve cus-tomers with confidence.

Key maintenanceconsiderations

As the point of contact for an entire aircraftupon touchdown, landing gear must withstandimmense and repeated impact in their daily op-eration — even more so in the case of heavyfreighters, which in Schwab’s experience tend tosustain more damage. In consequence, OEMssuch as Goodrich have introduced smart healthsystems which provide information about hardlandings and fluid levels in the shock strut, “both

of which are critical to landing gear perform-ance”, says Secord.

According to Schwab, the exposed parts ofany landing gear, such as sliding rods, axles andworking beams, are particularly prone to highdamage rates and are the parts which are mostoften replaced during overhaul. However, themajority of MROs strive to implement repairsrather than replacements in order to minimisecosts for their customers. “We don’t have theOEM mentality,” says Lopez. “We don’t benefitfrom scrapping parts.” He explains that, as far asAAR is concerned, “100 per cent of the gear is re-pairable” with the exception of the hardwireitems that need to be replaced at every overhaul,such as nuts and bolts.

Schwab adds bushing and gaskets to the listof expendables and says that “very often” flexiblehoses and conduits must be repaired and rein-stalled during overhaul. There may also be lifelimited parts (LLPs) that need replacing. But hebelieves that generalisations about the mostcommonly repaired or replaced parts are inadvis-able because of variations between aircraft types.

For example, AAR finds that it takes longer tooverhaul the main gears of a 767 compared withthe nose gears, while on the 737 the reverse istrue. “On the 767 we are finding now that thecylinders have internal cracks after being in serv-ice for ten years, and we have to remove thosecracks,” Lopez states. He describes the repairs as“a very tedious process” because of the need for

“We don’t have the OEM mentality. We don’t benefit from

scrapping parts.”

Pastor Lopez, GM, AAR Landing Gear Services

Left: AAR overhauls between 800 and 900 landing gears per year. Right: IT resources are essential for achieving rapid TATs.

photo: Revima

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repeated non-destructive testing (NDT) followedby reconstruction to design dimensions usingfirst nickel then chrome plating. Meanwhile, thenose gear on the 767 tends to be free of cracks.On the 737, Lopez says the main gears are “typi-cally pretty clean” apart from some degree of cor-rosion, while the nose gear exhibits greaterdamage “and requires more rework”.

Corrosion, which can lead to crack formation,is a common problem in landing gear, accordingto Secord, “particularly for aircraft that have highcycle rates”. This issue is tackled during overhaulby stripping down the landing gear then inspect-ing components visually and by NDT. “All majorparts,” says Tielmann, “like inner and outer cylin-ders and also truck [beams] and axles require fullattention due to their size, complexity and con-dition.” He explains that for landing gear theNDT is normally fluorescent penetrant inspec-tion (FPI), magnetic particle inspection (MPI) orthe Barkhausen noise test. According to Lopez,AAR has six types of NDT in its arsenal for land-ing gear: MPI; FPI; eddy current; ultra sonic; rollscan; and nital etch. “Parts are subsequently re-stored using the latest corrosion preventionmethods,” explains Secord.

As noted earlier, maintenance providers mayalso have to address corrosion and plating issuesoutside the context of overhaul. Schwab says that

an AOG situation may involve repairing a chromechip by smoothing over the defect in the case ofslight damage or replacing the sliding rod in moreserious cases. From time-to-time, he says, corro-sion is discovered by an operator during weeklyor monthly inspections, and a MRO is required toremove the bushing to tackle the corrosion be-hind it. Corrosion stripping, shot peening andthen cadmium plating are performed before re-installation of the bushing and axle.

Old problems, new solutionsAccording to Lopez, it has long been an in-

dustry undertaking to develop more environ-mentally friendly plating processes than thoseinvolving materials such as chrome. High veloc-ity oxygen fuel (HVOF) is one such advancedtechnique which is being used on certain land-ing gear components, such as the inner cylindersof the 767-400, which Lopez says were previ-ously chrome-plated. However, HVOF is notwidely used at present. Lopez points out thateven the latest aircraft, such as the A320 or the737 series, still feature chrome-plated parts andthat, as a result, tooling up to cater to HVOFplating “is not an issue at this moment for anylanding gear facility”.

Nonetheless, both Lopez and Schwab predictthat HVOF is going to become an increasingly

Left: Landing gears undergo repeated NDT such as FPI during overhaul. Right: Landing gear must be re-plated following repairs.

photo: Revima photo: Revima



common substitute for chrome in future genera-tions of aircraft. Tielmann says that LHT “wel-comes and fully supports” the development ofalternatives to chrome, while acknowledging thatit “will take significant time until such technolo-gies find their way [into] the overhaul manualsof all landing gear OEMs”. As a result, MROs cur-rently focus on carefully controlling existing plat-ing processes by using water treatment andrecovery systems. Schwab adds that the use ofsolvent in the final stage of paint application isalso minimised.

Secord explains that HVOF is the coating re-quired by the titanium parts that are being usedwith greater frequency in landing gears, whichare traditionally composed of steel or aluminium.Lopez says that while the 747-200 was launchedaround 30 years ago with only very small tita-nium parts like the torque links and braces, the777 has “a fairly large number” of titanium com-ponents, including the truck beams. Titanium isa highly robust yet relatively lightweight materialand one which offers a high resistance to corro-sion. As Secord points out, it has the capacity toextend the TBO and overall life of landing gears.Tielmann and Lopez confirm that titanium partsrequire less rework and very little plating.

Maintaining titanium parts requires an in-spection, bushing replacements and “makingsure there is no damage because of impact”, ac-cording to Lopez. Schwab explains that, unlikeother components, if a problem is discoveredwith titanium parts they are usually not repairedbut replaced. Unless it is an LLP replacement,based upon flying hours or cycles, scrapping ti-tanium is a rare occurrence. Lopez says the onlyproblem with titanium is “the fact that if it doesget scrapped for whatever reason it becomes apretty expensive proposition to replace thatpart”. All in all, though, he describes titanium as“a very good metal for landing gears” and be-lieves that, although some parts cannot be madeout of this material, it will be seen more andmore in upcoming landing gear designs.Messier-Bugatti-Dowty, for example, is incorpo-rating titanium and HVOF in the landing gearof the A350-800/900, alongside high strengthsteels. Meanwhile, Liebherr-Aerospace Linden-berg in Germany is using titanium for its A350XWB nose landing gear, plus the landing gearsystems of the CSeries, the ARJ21 and the C919.Parts of Liebherr’s E-Jet landing gears also in-clude titanium.

Composite materials, one of the leadingtrends in modern aircraft manufacture, are a dif-ferent proposition. Lopez notes that compositeshave not been as widely introduced in landinggear as titanium, citing the 787 as one example.On this aircraft, the OEM Messier-Dowty-Bugatti used composite braces together with “anindustry first” titanium main gear inner cylinder.

The composite elements deliver an enhancedstrength/weight ratio, plus higher resistance tocorrosion and fatigue. Messier-Bugatti-Dowty,also the OEM for the SSJ100 landing gear, says itwill continue to develop the technology for otherlarge commercial aircraft, focusing on potentialapplications for parts with simple load pathstructures such as bars, rods and other internalparts. Meanwhile, Liebherr-Aerospace is investi-gating the use of composites for structural com-ponents such as the upper drag brace and thesteering housing on its own landing gear.

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On the maintenance side, Lopez says that al-though it will be easy to replace the bushing,composites will likely require expensive NDT andrepairs. Thus far it is difficult to assess the in-ser-vice performance of composites in landing gear,since the 787 only launched in September lastyear. According to Lopez, testing suggests thatthe material will withstand the harsh conditionsunder which landing gears operate — “but his-tory will tell”. For now, the landing gear aftermar-ket must soldier through what Schwab says willbe “another difficult year”.


Overhead aircraft

handling during

maintenance events


In collaboration with a renowned European airline, CTI Systems says

it has developed an innovative solution for overhead aircraft

handling during maintenance and test procedures.

CTI Systems’ integrated overhead transfersystem for engines was designed to gohand in hand with the latest, future ori-

ented technology on aircraft engine handlingduring manufacturing or MRO procedures. Thecompany says it offers advantages in both effi-ciency and safety.

The entire overhaul plant (above) is a brain-storming result of both the client’s operating de-partment and CTI Systems’ engineering team. Theco-operation led to the formation of innovativeprocesses and equipment design. Exceeding theinitial throughput expectations, the installation canbe considered as a first class reference in this field.

Technology has been developed to meet tar-gets on:■ reduced risk of damage of handled parts;■ reduced turnaround time;■ reduced operating time (SMED = single

minute exchange of die);■ increased safety for work personnel;■ improved working/access conditions; and■ increased work quality.

Overhead transfer and on place

provisioning

The main characteristic of the system is theoverhead arrangement of all handling and transfercomponents. By applying other CTI Systems prod-ucts a complete and integrated overhead transferand lift solution can be offered (see figure 1).

Through lifting and fixing on the individualoverhead carrier in the receiving station, aircraftengines can be transferred either to hospital baysor to the dismantling, re-work and re-assemblyareas. The ‘Matrix’ design of the cranes allows thehighest flexible workflows and simplified transfers.Any station will allow free transfer to any other re-

quired service location, no matter which locationof the system the carrier is currently parked in.

Reduced operating time

For each line a combination of two suspendedrail systems are being installed:■ A monorail system to transport entire engines

or single broken down parts, equipped with aset of monorail carriers rated from 2t to 15t.

■ A bi‐rail system to dismantle / re-assemble thebasic group of modules with the highest pre-cision by applying bi-rail carriers — designedfor individual type and engine dimensions.For the critical modules of breakdown or re-

assembly, a combination of horizontal travel withlifting movements can be realised. Therefore,CTI Systems proposed to locate a monorail car-rier hoist between the bi-rail system, allowingboth the engine and module to be handled andapproached in the smoothest and safest manner(see figure 2).

Increased personnel safety and

access

The overhead configuration allows unhin-dered personnel access, all around and even

Figure 2

Figure 1



WWW.CTISYSTEMS.COM

Preparation work stands Work platforms for test runs

cti aircraft engine handlingin jet propulsion centersin test beds

PHONE: +352 2685 2000 [email protected]

CTI-patented monorail track Transfer bridges

Engine carriers Slewing cranes

below the engines. This system is certified byVeritas. The ground surface will be kept clearfrom any carriers and will grant a free workingenvironment. By lifting and lowering the enginewith the integrated hoists, optimal individual er-gonomic work levels are achieved. This improveswork quality and reduces the rate of absenteeism.

Improved work qualityOne of the system’s major advantages, how-

ever, is the avoidance of any engine discharge orgrapping during transfers, as it will remain fixedto its dedicated carrier for the entire work se-quences. Any potential damage resulting fromputting onto/ lifting from ground vehicles or jigswill no longer be relevant.

ReferencesThe displayed pictures show the latest CTI

Systems’ installations for a European client,which started operation in June 2010. Installed ina 10,500 m2 facility, aircraft engine maintenanceand overhaul is being performed on CFM 56 se-ries, CF 6-80; GE 90-94 and GE 90-115 - VBE (verybig engines) aircraft engines.

Installation period: 2009/10Lift heights: 8 metresMax. load: 15 tonsDue to the proven advantages, on efficiency

and safety, CTI says some engine manufacturersrecently switched to the overhead concept or arecurrently planning to do so. The company is sup-porting them in their strategic planning. CTI saysmore than 20 dedicated aircraft engine handlingsolutions are successfully in operation worldwide.

Further engine handlinginstallations

CTI Systems is also a supplier for aircraft en-gine handling in jet propulsion and test beds:Two similar, albeit less sophisticated, systemshave been installed for other aircraft engine cen-tres in the Middle East, combining manually-op-erated breakdown/build-up lines with motorisedtransfer bridges for line and workstation inter-connections.


“It’s very straightforward,” says KeithLeonard, regional director of B&HWorldwide, in answer to the question of

what fundamental criteria a logistics providermust meet in order to successfully serve the avi-ation industry. He specifies the importance of of-fering services across a broad weight range “fromone kilo up to top-deck sea freight capability”,24/7/365 availability, rapid reaction capabilityand a track record composed of specialist expe-rience.

But while it may be easy to list the key re-quirements, it is a different matter to co-ordinateservices to meet those needs consistently and ef-fectively. As Leonard points out, the necessaryexperience “doesn’t just happen overnight”. Withthe operations of a multi-billion dollar industrydependent upon the timely and safe delivery of aplethora of components, from the smallestscrews to entire engines and aerostructures, thestakes are high. As Erik Goedhart, SVP aerospace,Kuehne + Nagel, says, “in the case of service fail-ures or damage, the impact is huge”.

There are two broad categories of supplychain logistics companies serving the aviation in-dustry: specialists and multi-industry providerswith aviation or aerospace divisions. From thebroad-ranging perspective of Kuehne + Nagel’saerospace segment, Goedhart contrasts the logis-tical characteristics of the aviation industry withthose of the automotive and high-tech indus-tries: “As a start, this industry is characterised aslow volume and low weight. The main reason isthat the product to the end customer is a service[a flight] and not a physical product.”

As regards the low volume, Goedhart ex-plains that while a car factory may churn outthousands of units as a matter of course, Airbusand Boeing together might produce only 1,000aircraft per year. And while it may seem counter-intuitive that an industry which transports mas-sive aircraft engines, wings and fuselage sectionsis considered to be “low weight”, these items donot represent the average aircraft component;according to Goedhart, the majority of partsweigh less than 40kg. Although the parts may besmall, their financial worth can be considerable.A flight management computer, says Goedhart,weighs about 10kg but is worth many thousands

Logistics services are the lifeblood of the aviation industry,

transporting new parts for production operations, spare parts for

maintenance activities and critically important components for the

resolution of AOG situations. Joanne Perry discovers that service

providers face increasing time and cost pressures and must

implement integrated IT solutions to cope with future demand.

Supply chain

logistics


of pounds. For this reason, providers such asKuehne + Nagel supply dedicated treatment foraviation components – having a flight manage-ment computer sandwiched between genericcargo presents too high a risk of damage. Over-all, then, aviation logistics can be summarisedas follows: low volume; low weight; and highvalue.

Manufacturing and

maintenance

The aviation industry is not a uniform bodyof logistical needs, however. Manufacturing andmaintenance are two distinct sides of the busi-

photo: Kuehne + Nagel Aerospace

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ness with, in Goedhart’s words, “different dy-namics”. In aircraft series production, the entireprocess is planned and organised to an extraor-dinary level of detail and foresight, meaning thatcontracted logistics providers can have firmstrategies in place to satisfy the needs of theoriginal equipment manufacturers (OEMs),with only a little fine-tuning required at a laterstage. Leonard describes the vast supply chaininvolved in manufacturing, such as the manage-ment of Airbus requirements by DHL andKuehne + Nagel, as “a very different animal”from the logistical needs of in-service fleets. Inthe former case, he says that large size can be anadvantage for the logistics provider. Kuehne +Nagel in fact developed its all-encompassing‘Supply the Sky’ solution around the services itprovides to the Airbus production line in Ham-burg, Germany. But, rather than catering only tomanufacturing needs, the concept covers thelifecycle of an aircraft across new and spare partssupply, reducing stock in the supply chain aswell as total transportation costs.

The maintenance, repair and overhaul(MRO) side is, as Goedhart says, “a little more adhoc” owing to the difficulty of anticipating theprecise outcome of line maintenance and heavymaintenance checks, and of course the occur-rence of unexpected aircraft-on-ground (AOG)situations. Furthermore, as Goedhart points out,an airline sometimes makes the decision toboost its inventory in preparation for mainte-nance needs, and thus requires additional logis-tical support. Logistics providers for MROoperations therefore must exhibit a significantdegree of flexibility to tackle unpredictable andurgent demands, with the revenues and reputa-tions of both maintenance providers and airlineshanging in the balance.

As a company which conducts MRO serviceson a worldwide basis, Lufthansa Technik (LHT)is in an excellent position to judge the logisticalrequirements of maintenance providers. “Besidesa very high standard in services, costs and perfor-mance,” says Andreas Meisel, managing director,Lufthansa Technik Logistik Services (LTLS), whatis needed is “knowledge of MRO-specificprocesses and requirements”. Meisel continues:“Only with processes designed to meet the spe-cific needs of the aviation industry is it possibleto meet these requirements and to be successfulin an industry with such high cost pressure.” Con-sequently, LTLS acts as both a logistics providerand “to a certain level” a consultant, shaping sup-ply chains across transportation, customs, ware-

“The much larger manufacturing supply chain is a very

different animal from the logistical support required by an

airline with aircraft in service.”

Keith Leonard, regional director, B&H Worldwide

Left: Kuehne + Nagel Aerospace’s ‘Supply the Sky’ concept. Right: The main deck on the cargo floor of an A330-200F.



housing and material supply activities, as well ascarrying out the fulfilment of the concept.

Central to the reduction of both time andcosts across the supply chain is the implementa-tion of effective processes and IT for planning,executing and monitoring transportation andwarehousing solutions, according to Meisel. Forexample, LTLS developed a track-and-trace sys-tem based on timestamp messages which provideinformation about transport status, locations,times, part numbers and purchase orders. Theweb-based system interfaces with the MRO sys-tems of customers and suppliers. “Besides thetracking and tracing of single processes, the sys-tem offers business process reports that are thebasis for internal TAT [turnaround time] evalua-tions,” explains Meisel, “and also for the commu-nication between LHT/LTLS and their customersand suppliers.”

Meisel says the company also “got an earlystart” on the electronic automated export system(AES) mandated by the European Union (EU) onJuly 1, 2009 by working with partners to developa special module which connects the new systemto the existing LTLS IT landscape.

When it comes to LTLS’ transportation andwarehousing activities on the ground, “there are

actually two set-ups to be separated”, says Meisel.For routine material supply or homebase replen-ishment, the LTLS distribution centre and trans-portation network combine to cover disparatelocations across the world. According to Meisel,modern transportation solutions make proximityto the customer “slightly less important” for thistype of supply, and fast processes in request han-dling, warehousing, customs and transportation“far more important”. At present, LTLS is focus-ing on Europe, the United States and the Asia-Pacific region, in which LTLS operatesdistribution centres that “realise an optimumlevel of customer proximity”. Meanwhile, whensupplying parts directly to a maintenance opera-tion, LTLS establishes warehouses in close prox-imity to the customer, most often at airports andwith direct airside access. Meisel explains that itis crucial to have a presence on site; “for materialsupply to line maintenance, every minutecounts”.

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that service and deliver time after time is thegoal,” says Ralph Perkins, managing director atAOG specialist Aviation Logistics Network(ALN), which handles about 500 such consign-ments per day. Founded in 2006, ALN is an inde-pendent association of international logisticsproviders catering to critical and AOG needswithin the aerospace industry, as well as routinesupply. From initial founding partnerships acrossthe UK, France and Germany, the organisationhas grown to encompass 200 locations across sixcontinents. Indeed, ALN has recently widened itspresence in the US and, says Perkins, “will be ina position shortly to announce some importantdevelopments within the Middle East”.

According to Perkins, the intention of thefounding partners of ALN was to provide an al-ternative for aviation customers “who in many re-spects have had little choice other than to look atsingle entity global forwarding networks”. InPerkins’ opinion, “you do not have to be big to begood”. The idea was, and is, that the collaborationof high-achieving specialists within local mar-kets, including small and medium enterprises(SMEs), enables the delivery of “exceptional serv-ices coupled with cost synergies”. The hallmarksof membership are a common standard of work-ing practices, quality system management anddedication to detail.

Based on these principles, ALN offers theworldwide reach and capabilities to serve an in-dustry that Perkins describes as “truly global in

scope” and one which measures downtime “inhours, not always days”. ALN continues toevolve its services, recently introducing ‘Se-curium’ — an AOG out-of-hours, high-securitynight safe concept for small components — forexample.

According to Leonard at B&H, on-boardcourier is “the fastest way that you can get anAOG [part] from A to B, because you are literallyescorting it and you are not [risking] an offloador misroute”, although he concedes that suchmishaps do not happen often anymore with ship-ments travelling as cargo. B&H is a member ofthe Aerospace Logistics Group (ALG), which wasestablished in 2007 by a group of internationalfreight forwarders with an emphasis on rapid-re-action, around-the-clock services. The associa-tion has offices and distribution centres inEurope, the US, the Middle East, Asia and Aus-tralasia — Leonard says both B&H Worldwideand the ALG network is “increasingly” beingasked to hold inventory at strategic locationsworldwide on behalf of their customer base.

On the whole, though, Leonard believes that“smaller is better, because of the flexibility”. Hesays that half a dozen people with appropriate ex-pertise offer a better solution than larger teamswhere clients are passed around numerouspoints of contact. It is a sentiment shared byPerkins at ALN, which counts former commercialpilots, aeronautical designers, f light engineersand an SVP of maintenance among its personnel.

Left: DHL assists Airbus with its logistics requirements. Right: Parts are sometimes transported in the cabins of passenger aircraft by on-board couriers.



“It is important that we have the ability to thinkin the same way as our clients do and understandthe commercial world in which they operate,”states Perkins.

It may seem a little unsophisticated to trans-port an aircraft component in carry-on baggage,but Leonard says demand for on-board courierservices is rising. The “sure-fire” method doeshave its disadvantages, however, including weightlimitations. The size of the part to be transportedis constrained by baggage restrictions — around20kg in the cabin. Thus, Leonard says, the typesof components transported in this manner areoften high-tech avionics, in-flight entertainmentsystems, fuel flow meters and the like.

He says a “classic” example of on-board couri-ering occurred a few months ago, when a SriLankan Airlines aircraft grounded in Milan ur-gently required an 18”-24” piece of fuel flow tub-ing. B&H arranged for a replacement to arrivefrom Messier-Dowty in Gloucester, UK, withintwo hours and to depart from Heathrow withinanother hour. The courier was met in customs bya representative of the ALG member for Italy.Heavier escorted components are transported inthe hold, and according to Leonard, negotiatingcustoms can still be faster than processing thepart through a freight terminal.

Dedicated networks are not the only organi-sations performing AOG operations, however.Kuehne + Nagel recently responded to an engineAOG in Greece. The replacement CFM56 was inDüsseldorf, Germany, the necessary enginechange kit in Luton, UK, and additional parts tosupport the engine change needed to be col-lected from Stansted Airport. A charter arrange-ment was selected ahead of other options.Goedhart admits that the raw logistical expense

“It is important that we have the ability to think in the same

way as our clients do and understand the commercial world in

which they operate.”

Ralph Perkins, MD, ALN.

A CFM56 engine such as was recently transported by Kuehne + Nagel Aerospace for an AOG in Greece.



was “huge” but says it was still less than the costof accommodating passengers overnight, acquir-ing fresh crew and the aircraft sitting on theground at a loss of $50,000 per day.

Nonetheless, Goedhart says that in a similarcase in future, Kuehne + Nagel would likely beable to knock two hours off the lead time nowthat an airside warehouse has been opened atLondon Heathrow. The new set-up at Heathrowis part of an expansion plan which will seeKuehne + Nagel establish closer proximity to itscustomers. Goedhart says the company is “heav-ily investing in emerging markets and BRIC[Brazil, Russia, India and China] countries”.

Supply chains — present andfuture

Looking to the future of aviation supplychain logistics, B+H’s Leonard sees IT whichprovides total visibility within the supply chainas “the biggest challenge”. Since the supply chainhas expanded on both the manufacturing andmaintenance sides, the necessary technologicalintegration will have to happen on a global basis,incorporating the activities of logistical partnersin the case of networks like ALG. In tomorrow’sproduction operations, says Leonard, “parts areas likely to be coming from China, India and

other rapidly developing economies, whereasprobably 25 years ago most of them came fromthe US”.

Meanwhile, in catering to aftermarket re-quirements, B&H has been busy establishingmore de-centralised stores in growing marketssuch as Asia. In order to cater to these new de-mands, the company will continue to developits proprietary ‘OnTrack’ software and will alsoroll out an iPhone app which enables engineersto locate parts within the supply chain whileon-site.

Meisel agrees that “IT resources and applica-tions as well as the execution of IT projects arecrucial to a modern logistics provider”. He be-lieves that, while the supply chain is not neces-sarily becoming more complex, the integrationof the IT systems required for request handling,warehousing, planning and purchasing of mate-rial, transportation, customs processing andtracking is “an important prerequisite to be asfast and cost efficient as aviation logistics needsto be today”. Goedhart, meanwhile, points outthat Kuehne + Nagel’s ‘Supply the Sky’ concept iseffectively an integrated, global IT solution pro-viding full track-and-trace capability.

Going forward, Goedhart believes that astrong IT “backbone” will be vital in the redesignof the supply chain which he says is necessary forperformance improvement and cost reductions.He estimates that only $60-80bn of the $100bn ofstock in the aftermarket is actually needed andthat manufacturers have at least one month’ssupply of parts when one week would be optimal.Furthermore, with the implementation of tighterand more innovative IT-led solutions, Goedhartsays that AOG shipments could potentially be re-duced by 50 per cent.

However, in the enthusiasm to adopt more so-phisticated IT systems it is important to remem-ber that there are other crucial factorscontributing to the delivery of efficient supplychain solutions. “Automated systems of courseplay a large part in the ever-changing and com-plex world in which we live,” says Perkins. “How-ever, the value of human interaction andproblem solving is as much key to the success ofour business as the most sophisticated trackingand stock inventory control tools.”

Perkins lists the central ongoing issues for theaviation logistics industry as: continued serviceimprovement despite reduced profit margins; theunderstanding between service providers andclients that services must be “valued as well ascosted” whatever the bottom line may say; andthe need for innovation. These challenges, hesays, must be tackled in the broader context ofan industry that is coming under increasing pres-sure from the high fuel prices which percolate thesupply chain as well as requirements “to reducewaste, downtime and spiralling costs”.

Both manufacturing and maintenance supply chains have expanded, and logistics providers must offer

global, integrated services.


Component maintenance comprises a fifthof the global MRO market, which will beworth $50bn in 2012. Team SAI, an ana-

lyst, values the segment at $9.5bn this year, risingto $13.5bn in a decade, at which point it predictsthe global market will be worth $68bn.

To put that in perspective, component repairis worth roughly the same annually as the linemaintenance and heavy maintenance sectors.The lion’s share, of course, is taken by enginemaintenance, set to be worth $22bn this year.

Unlike engines and airframe heavy checks,components offer flexibility in where they can bemaintained. Parts can often be replaced imme-diately at source and then shipped off to a repairshop halfway round the world. In contrast, theexpense of transporting aircraft and engines thesame distance is prohibitive enough to ensurethey are overhauled locally.

The segment is distinct in other ways, too, ascomponent maintenance is an umbrella termthat covers a vast array of aircraft items. Many dif-fer wildly in function, value, complexity and re-quired repair protocol. Rotables, for instance, areparts such as pumps and actuators that requireperiodic repair, whereas other items, known asexpendables, are thrown away once they reachthe end of their service lives.

Thus, to offer comprehensive componentsupport a MRO shop needs to be able to repair orreplace everything from in-flight entertainmentsystems to onboard coffee makers. Other typesof component include hydraulic and electricalactuators, lights, valves, and navigation and com-munication equipment.

Airlines, or the shops they contract theirMRO to, must plan maintenance according to thetype of component. For instance, wheels andbrakes typically require more work during thesummer months, while other items offer rigidmaintenance intervals, as Heinz Freimann, headof component maintenance at SR Technics (SRT)explains. “Certain products have hard-time lim-its, which mean they can only be in service for aspecific period of time and must be maintainedwithin that timeframe,” he says. “An example ofthis would be emergency slides. As we managefleet maintenance for airlines we are thereforeable to predict when the component will be in

The four pillars of the aircraft MRO sector are engine, component,

heavy and line maintenance. New technologies and materials in each

of these areas require increasingly sophisticated aftermarket

support, but the sheer variety of parts on modern aircraft means

that component repair is one of the trickier capabilities for

maintenance providers to master, says Alex Derber.

Component

maintenance


the shop, as we have a record of when the slidewas last installed.”

Hard-time limits can be defined by the man-ufacturer or the airline. In the latter case, an air-line may stipulate a maximum in-service periodin order to better predict its maintenance costs.Conversely, an ‘on-condition’ programme mightallow extended use of a part provided it meetsspecified conditions. “However, when you dohave to remove a unit with high hours and cyclesyou face higher maintenance costs, which canmake this more costly over time than establishinga maintenance programme that establishes in-tervals for removal,” warns Tom Covella, execu-



came of age about six years ago but it’s been reallysuccessful, rising from less than half of total com-ponent revenue in less than a decade,” says TimButzmann, head of product sales for componentservices at the company.

Lufthansa’s component repair services arecentred on its facilities in Hamburg and Frank-furt, where the manufacturer supports all majorAirbus and Boeing types, as well as Embraer,Bombardier and BAE lines. Evidence of the com-pany’s commitment to new aircraft can be foundin Spairliners, a joint A380 parts pool it set up in2005 with Air France Industries, and in a 2011 dealwith Hamilton Sundstrand to provide MRO serv-ices for the manufacturer’s 787 components.

“We try to focus on newer technologies andare running a capability build- up programme asthe technology being installed on aircraft like the747-8 and 787 has obviously changed quite a bit— mostly concerning the avionics,” says OliverGillmann, team leader, SRU repair services, LHT.

Many of the capabilities that LHT develops onthe 787 will emerge from those learned on the777, with which the Dreamliner shares a similar

tive vice president and general manager atFlorida-based STS Component Solutions.

Full supportWhile hard-time limits help to improve main-

tenance visibility for airlines, the easiest way forthem to predict costs is to outsource all their com-ponent repair requirements in one go. To accom-modate this, most of the major MRO companiesoffer some form of comprehensive solution: SRTprovides ‘Integrated Component Solutions’;Lufthansa Technik (LHT) has ‘Total ComponentSupport’; and ST Aerospace has its ‘Maintenance-By-The-Hour’ programme. The names are differ-ent, but all tend to offer a similar spectrum ofservices, encompassing engineering and repair,access to parts pools, and logistics support.Through its partnership with Sanad Aero Solu-tions, SR Technics is also able to offer componentinventory financing solutions.

Comprehensive solutions have proved popu-lar, with LHT estimating that about 90 per centof its component revenues are now derived fromtotal support deals. “This type of service only

flight deck and Honeywell f ly-by-wire controlsystem. Ease of maintenance should also resultfrom the 787’s ‘Common Core System’ (CCS), acentral computer that replaces the myriad sys-tems of previous aircraft with a single unit capa-ble of 80 different avionics functions. Boeing saysthat the CCS has eliminated the more than 100separate line replaceable units from the cockpit.

SR Technics, which supports more than 50,000part numbers across Airbus and Boeing types, alsostrives to stay abreast of the latest developmentsand prepare itself for when components begin torequire MRO. “We have a dedicated team of engi-neers who constantly screen new technologies, getfamiliar with these technologies, and make rec-ommendations about which capabilities to de-velop and when,” says Freimann.

He offers the example of hydraulic test rigs thatSRT used up until 2010. To cope with the increasedhydraulic pressures utilised on new-generationaircraft the company chose a new 5000psi-capablerig instead of equivalent replacements. “With thenew bench only minor adjustments are needed tocope with a variety of components from new air-craft types, such as but not limited to the A380,787 and A350,” Freimann says.

OEM involvementNew aircraft also present a different sort of

challenge to MRO companies, one associatedwith a changing business model at large OEMslike Honeywell and Rockwell Collins who man-

“Some lessors are still reluctant to use PMA so in contract

negotiations we have to convince them that it is risk-free and

beneficial. In some cases the OEMs are not happy, but there

are situations where we work together as well.”

Tim Butzmann, head of product sales for component services, Lufthansa Technik

Lufthansa Technik estimates that about 90 per cent of its component revenues are now derived from total support deals.

© Gregor Schläger / Lufthansa Technik



ufacture swathes of components installed onnew and old airframes. Like the engine suppliers,these are increasingly seeking a role in the after-market by linking sales of new products to long-term maintenance contracts. A recent examplewas a five-year contract, signed in March, forHoneywell to provide repair and overhaul sup-port for avionic and mechanic components onEmirates’ 777, A330 and A340 fleets.

“The OEMs that have a big share of installedcomponents will certainly look at getting into theaftermarket. They are already doing repairs fortheir own components and for some items theyare the default subcontractor for many MROsthat don’t have the capability themselves. I wouldexpect that to increase,” says Butzmann at LHT.

Airframers are also getting in on the act. Boe-ing’s ‘Goldcare’ programme for the 787 integratesspare parts planning, ordering, supplier manage-ment, and component repair and overhaul, whileBombardier launched ‘Smart Services’ in 2008 toprovide repair and exchange for Q400 compo-nents and, eventually, non-engine parts on theCSeries regional jet.

Meanwhile, Thales has ‘TopCare’, a by-the-hour support offering for its ‘TopFlight’ in-flightentertainment system, and ‘Avionics++’, a com-

prehensive package covering repairs and spares.The French business has also joined Diehl Aero-space, Liebherr Aerospace and Zodiac to estab-lish OEMServices, which charges per flight hourto support the avionic, hydraulic, flight control,cabin, engine control, and air system compo-nents produced across the four companies.

Engineering solutionsThe initiatives outlined above show that the

actual repair of parts is only one side of a compo-nent MRO service, another being the supply ofreplacements. LHT, for example, has a pool ofmore than €1bn-worth of spares at its bases inHamburg and Frankfurt. “Alongside that wemust maintain a logistics network in order tosupply our customers at their respective homebases or line stations,” says Butzmann.

Rather than keep their own stock, many airlinesare now giving up their inventories and relying oncentralised pools of spares that are drawn on bymany operators. Those airlines also outsource theirsupply chain management to third parties such asLHT. Aside from tapping into economies of scale,the advantages of pooling are that it allows airlinesto focus on their core operations and transfer riskonto specialist supply managers.

Some component service companies do noteven perform repairs themselves, choosing in-stead to manage the overall MRO process fortheir customers, An example is STS ComponentSolutions, which supports items including thrustreversers, flight control surfaces, insulation blan-kets, nacelle hold open rods, batteries, chargers,static inverters, switches, and pitot tubes on awide range of commercial aircraft.

Although STS does not have the maintenancecapabilities of LHT, the two companies do bothoffer engineering services. As a designated designorganisation, LHT can implement product im-provements and develop its own solutions tocomponent problems without waiting for OEMsto take the lead. Similarly, STS Components So-lutions and STS Engineering Solutions seek toleverage their skills to reduce maintenance down-time and cost for customers.

“Through our individual in-house capabilitiesin the areas of composites and structures, wehave been able to engineer and develop repairschemes that have saved composites and struc-tures that would otherwise have been deemed‘beyond economical repair’ or been exposed tosignificant ‘over-and-above’ material replace-ment charges,” says Covella at STS.



An easy way to pass on cost savings to cus-tomers is through the use of PMA parts, whichare parts that perform just as well as originalequipment from the big manufacturers, but aremanufactured by third parties. As a result, theyare much cheaper, though OEMs resent their useas they cut into aftermarket sales of originalequipment. For MRO shops, this can sometimesmean a delicate balancing act between their var-ious customers and suppliers.

“As a designated engineering representativewe aim to achieve cost advantages that we canhand on to our customers, so PMA is part of what

Operator Region Total MRO spend (US$)

2010 2011 2012

Africa 316,603 410,523 376,122

North America 3,147,290 3,476,518 3,521,702

Middle East 535,942 734,780 733,81

Western Europe 2,385,775 2,470,057 2,579,717

Eastern Europe 292,768 461,018 501,105

Latin America 633,459 638,184 673,890

Asia-Pacific 1,705,473 1,883,379 1,901,087

China 674,814 852,163 903,635

India 181,052 194,915 217,564

Unknown 15,497 10,289

Source: UBM Aviation

Component MRO spend by region

we do. Some lessors are still reluctant to use PMAso in contract negotiations we have to convincethem that it is risk-free and beneficial. In somecases the OEMs are not happy, but there are sit-uations where we work together as well,” com-ments Butzmann.

Service bulletins (SBs) demonstrate this co-operation. LHT is currently developing a solutionto a problem with A320 door actuators. “It affectsthe whole A320 fleet and the OEM wanted a part-ner who could cover the whole process; we sup-port the repair, modification, testing, and fieldsupport like a turnkey product,” says Gillmann.

STS has performed different work in supportof several SBs concerning 737NG thrust reversers.Heat damage had been detected on the innerwalls of the thrust reversers, so Boeing recom-mended drilling a hole through the wall behindthe No. 3 upper compression pad to decrease thetemperature behind the thrust reverser insula-tion blanket, which should then be replaced. Asa supplier of insulation blankets, STS had to en-sure that replacements were available to cus-tomers.

CompetitionOnly the largest MRO companies are capable

of comprehensive component total solutions —the investment needed in spare parts alonemakes such offerings impossible for smaller com-panies. Accordingly, multinational MROs mostlycompete with each other for component con-tracts, especially as holistic support deals havebecome their prevalent revenue streams.

Nonetheless, LHT’s Butzmann does acknowl-edge that competition has diversified, both fromOEMs seeking a share of the aftermarket andsmaller companies like STS. Covella, meanwhile,points out that most of his business is workingwith the OEMs — whose components STS sup-plies and develops improvements for — ratherthan against them. “The larger third-party nose-to-tail MRO providers probably represent a big-ger threat to us,” he concludes.

SR Technics says it supports more than 50,000 part numbers across Airbus and Boeing types.

THE PROVEN PATHTO NEXTGEN PERFORMANCE

Tapping into NextGen operational improvements just got easier. With Goodrich Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) solutions, you can be ready today for ADS-B In CDTI, Data Comm/SWIM, network enabled weather, and other performance-boosting NextGen enabling technologies.

Newest in our EFB family, the G700 SmartDisplay® EFB system supports concurrent operation of Windows-based applications and Type C certified applications like CDTI and CPDLC, providing flight crews with a multi-functional system that maximizes benefits. It also features integrated Wi-Fi/3G wireless, upgraded processors and memory, and a new 10"/12" LCD display with multi-touch and gesturing input compatibility. The wait is over.

You can have the future of NextGen in your cockpit today.

For more information about Goodrich EFBs contact Goodrich at [email protected]

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Within the commercial aviation indus-try, the electronic flight bag (EFB) isslowly but surely moving towards

that point which globally successful moderntechnological devices eventually get to: a tippingpoint for uptake. As with mobile phones andCDs, the technology was there for decades beforeeveryone unanimously decided they must haveit. Necessary factors gradually converge and sud-denly… the technology is ubiquitous.

Although EFBs are not there yet, currenttrends point to that day arriving in the none-too-distant future. Replacing the original backbreak-ing flight bag, loaded with around 12,000 sheetsof paper comprising maps, charts, and docu-ments and weighing 25kg, today’s electronicflight bags greatly surpass their cumbersomepredecessors in capability and functionality, aswell as portability.

Modern EFBs can dramatically streamline op-erations and save airlines a fortune. They replacecountless tons of paper, meaning much lessweight on board and millions saved in fuel costs,as well as improving their impact on the environ-ment. Along with increased operational effi-ciency and productivity, departments such as

flight operations and maintenance can also bemodernised.

Potential benefits range from the eliminationof low-value, labour intensive processes like up-dating manuals and navigation charts, throughto improving the availability of time-sensitiveand operationally important information such asdefect reports. Safety is improved, information isavailable faster, and it can be simultaneously ac-cessed and shared by more people to ensure op-timal performance. It’s no wonder they’recatching on. The paperless cockpit is withoutdoubt the future of flying across the aviation in-dustry — private, military and commercial. Thequestion is, which devices and what software willmost airline companies be using?

Tablet transformation?Enter the newcomer in the industry — the

iPad. Apple’s globally popular gadget has been

grabbing the headlines, passing decompressiontests, and being applied for use as a Class 1 EFBby the world’s largest airline, United Continental.More than 10,000 iPads have been deployed toUnited and Continental aircraft at a cost of nearly$5m, with estimated annual savings of around$1m. This major network airline follows Delta andAlaska Airlines, who were the first commercialairlines to use iPads. American Airlines is alsousing iPads, and was recently granted US FederalAviation Administration (FAA) authorisation touse the devices during all phases of commercialflight and to mount the iPad in the cockpit — anunprecedented ruling which qualifies it as a Class2 EFB, rather than a Class 1 that must be stowedon take off and landing.

As the iPad is being widely considered bymore and more airlines as a potential option overthe more established EFB devices, some con-tention has arisen in the industry surrounding

The industry for electronic flight bags (EFBs) has long been a

sleeping giant. After two decades of limited commercial use, IT

innovation in EFB software and hardware is finally waking the giant

from his slumber, reports Nick Rice.

Essential Flying Buddy— the EFB is here to stay

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

ULTRAMAIN® efbTechLogs™ is on the Apple® iPad®

efbTechLogs is award-winning, aviation-first electronic technical log software from Ultramain Systems that first went live in 2008. The software operates on any EFB, and now it’s on the iPad too. Under the surface is rock solid technology that makes efbTechLogs as “reliable and available” as paper. Contact us today to find out more. Plus get your exclusive invitation to our ULTRAMAIN 2012 Software Forum, June 10-12.

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Apple and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple, Inc. ULTRAMAIN and efbTechLogs are trademarks of Ultramain Systems, Inc.



the iPad’s suitability, functionality and future. Atthe core of the debate is the overlap in the cate-gorisation of EFB devices as Class 1, 2 and 3.

Class 1 represents the most basic device andembodies the initial concept of replacing paperwith a device to access and view documents.These are generally purchased, consumer off-the-shelf (COTS) devices such as laptops, whichare portable and not connected to an aircraft’spower supply. Class 2 EFBs are still portable butcan be docked and used with the flight deck andare approved for operation in all phases of flight.The software functionality goes beyond Class 1and includes moving maps, real time satellite,and weather updates. The top range Class 3 EFBsare a fixed part of the avionic on-board systemand are the only class able to run the most so-phisticated Type C software. They must also becertified (at considerable cost) by the FAA viaSupplemental Type Certificate (STC).

Established companies such as Goodrich, aglobal supplier of systems and services to theaerospace industry, acknowledge the impact ofiPads but believe their use to be limited. JimSchmitz, director of business development forGoodrich’s cockpit data management products,states: “The iPad and other tablets certainly havea role to play in many instances where limitedfunctionality, along with low cost of entry, is con-cerned. Tablet devices have helped to accelerateairline interest in EFBs and they may help to

lower the cost of entry to implement a basic, lim-ited functionality, Class 1 EFB system.”

But, he warns: “If airlines want to tap into themuch greater savings potential of a ‘fully con-nected’ EFB system, they will need to move be-yond a tablet-based EFB. We have already seenthis in Europe with airlines that have used Class1 EFBs for years and have already taken the step,or are considering, upgrading their Class 1 tabletto a Class 2 or Class 3 EFB system.”

Upgrading from Class 1 with products likeGoodrich’s ‘SmartDisplay’ EFB system, meansgreater depth in the overall performance of anEFB. As Schmitz says: “These highly customis-able product suites allow flight crews, flight ops,maintenance departments, and IT staff to effi-ciently manage the flow of multiple sources ofelectronic information to and from the aircraft,effectively enabling the aircraft to become an ex-tension of an airline’s IT system.”

Knut Aabö, EVP of sales and marketing atEFB hardware provider navAero, concurs withSchmitz and explains the limitations of the iPadin contrast to established EFB solutions andhardware, such as navAero’s own ‘t-Bag C22’ EFBdevice.

“While the iPad is attracting significant atten-tion in the North American market as a low costtechnology tool, there is virtually no interest inthis device in Europe, the Middle East or Asia,”he says. “These markets are focused on the de-

ployment of purpose built EFB technology be-cause they see the benefit they will gain from EFBsystems that can be fully integrated with the air-craft. The iPad will not undercut the Class 2 EFBhardware market. The iPad is a basic, consumerproduct with limited built-in connectivity andcontent upload capability. It was never designedto be used in an aircraft environment and is notmanufactured with aircraft-grade components.It is a consumer device, not an aircraft device.”

Whilst the limitations are clear — the iPad isnot a viable contender for the highly integratedand robust technology platforms that Class 3EFBs represent — they are gaining support foruse in both Class 1 and Class 2 categories. Jeppe-sen Enterprise Solutions, an aviation navigationcompany and subsidiary of Boeing, has been sup-plying EFB solutions and working with multiplehardware providers for more than 15 years. Seniormanager Jeff Buhl has plenty of positive things tosay about the adoption of the iPad in the aviationindustry. “To date, the iPad has been the mostsuccessful EFB platform with solutions providedby Jeppesen. It is certainly part of what is re-defining the EFB solution. 2011 was a great yearfor the iPad EFB and we see no signs of it slowingdown, especially among the commercial air-lines. For many situations, it is the right platformwith the right solution when integrated withJeppesen ‘Mobile FliteDeck’ software, which isdeveloped by pilots, for pilots.”

Jeppesen Enterprise Solutions has been supplying EFB solutions and working with multiple hardware providers for more than 15 years. Pictured is its ‘Mobile

FliteDeck’ software.



The iPad has also drawn supportive com-ments from Ultramain Systems. Based in NewMexico, US, Ultramain has been producing inte-grated maintenance and logistics software formore than 20 years. “If regulators will allow dataconnectivity between the iPad and aircraft sys-tems then it will no doubt compete with Class 2EFBs as well,” says company president Mark Mc-Causland. “The iPad has already passed FAAhardware certification requirements and beenapproved for use in the cockpit in critical phasesof flight, so it’s shown itself to be up to aircraft-grade certification standards.”

With regard to the apparent convergence be-tween the classes, he adds: “For safety reasonsthere will always be some applications that won’tbe permitted on anything less than Class 3 EFB.The reason is that due to the critical nature of theapplications, certified software and hardware willbe required. Class 3 EFB will always be in a classby themselves. However, Class 1 and 2 EFBs ap-pear to be merging.”

This blurring between class categorisationcontinues to split major players in the industry.Diogo Serradas, of Flightman, (formerly AircraftManagement Technologies), which specialises inconnected aircraft solutions and claims to have

the world’s largest market share in providing EFBsoftware solutions, also recognises the significantencroachment of the iPad into the aviation in-dustry. Serradas also suggests more competitionbeyond the iPad in the form of other new EFB de-vices. “This new FAA charting legislation is a sig-nificant milestone within the EFB industry,” hesays. “If these airlines successfully deploy a com-plete EFB solution on the iPad, then it’s quitepossible that 2012 could become a significantyear. At the moment the iPad is a competitor toother EFB hardware suppliers. However, with theadvent of Windows 8 later this year there will bea large number of new devices capable of runningexisting enterprise applications. We predict moreairlines combining both pilot assigned tabletswith the more established aircraft assignedEFBs.”

New features and newproblems

With more than 20,000 non EFB-equippedaircraft in use there is all to play for and EFBs willcontinue to proliferate across the varying levelsof capability. The technology and application ofEFBs has already far surpassed the original ideaof substituting paper for a screen. The EFB is now

Jeppesen Enterprise Solutions senior manager

Jeff Buhl.

AMOSA Story of Success

“We feel that AMOS is very much alive and keeps pace with the ever changing aviation industry,“ says Air Transat.

Read more about the world-class M&E software system at

SWISS-AS.COM



a functioning supplementary IT system workingin sync with on-board computing. They can com-plement primary flight instrumentation as an in-tegral part of an aircraft’s functioning.

navAero’s Aabö sees this as good news for in-creased airline efficiency. “As regulatory author-ities gain greater assurances as to EFB reliabilityand user benefits, we see the potential for nu-merous ancillary uses that today are authorisedonly on computer systems that utilise a DO-178operating system,” he states. “This ability to allowClass 2 technology systems to make the tremen-dous leap to being a true contributor for increas-ing operational efficiency goes way beyondsimply displaying the digital version of paperdocumentation that was contained in the tradi-tional leather flight bag.”

The future will see more software apps devel-oped, while hardware providers will battle it outfor which device is the best delivery mechanism.One symptom that could affect some EFB usersis inundation with new applications — could pi-lots risk becoming hindered with too many op-

tions, potentially losing valuable time whilstscrolling through pages and pages of apps? Withthe almost limitless variations of service thatEFBs can be enabled to perform and provide theyhave become an altogether different beast — butis it one that needs to be tamed? Or at least con-trolled so that it doesn’t become a burden?

“The challenge is finding the balance betweentoo many apps and too many features in a singleapp,” believes Jeppesen’s Buhl. “Mobile devicesare teaching us that targeted applications with adefined purpose can be easier to learn, train, anduse more effectively on a recurring basis. Ulti-mately, a relatively limited set of applications cancover the tool set a pilot needs to replace and farexceed the notion of the traditional flight bag.”

Pilots have also joined the debate, expressingconcerns about the increased and expansive EFBdeployment. Popular pilot forums are full ofopinion on the subject, and when it comes to theiPad as a new EFB, the overwhelming consensusappears positive. Some have noted its usefulnessfor flight planning purposes, or in quickly im-proving a pilot’s situation awareness (SA) —using the iPad’s touchscreen can be considerablyquicker than finding, unfolding, searching andplanning on paper charts.

Regardless of the stance taken on iPads versuspurpose-built EFB hardware, it is safe to say thatthe iPad has found a place in the cockpit as wellas in business lounges and as part of in-flight en-tertainment services. This is more likely a resultof the tablet being ‘pulled’ into the sector ratherthen Apple ‘pushing’ it there. Apple doesn’t need

“The iPad will not undercut the Class 2 EFB hardware market.

The iPad is a basic, consumer product with limited built-in

connectivity and content upload capability. It was never

designed to be used in an aircraft environment and is not

manufactured with aircraft-grade components.”

Knut Aabö, EVP of sales and marketing, navAero

Goodrich G700 ‘SmartDisplay’ Class 3 EFB

displaying the Honeywell ‘SmartTraffic’ ADS-B

in ITP view.



to penetrate the commercial airline marketplace— they most likely sell more iPads in one weekthan the amount required to equip every com-mercially aircraft flying today.

The issues that could prove a barrier to fur-ther widespread iPad adoption include thelithium ion battery (historically ruled a potentialfire hazard by the FAA), aircraft data connectiv-ity, future upgradeability/expansion of systemcapabilities, and, in the US, issues surroundingNextGen compliance. (NextGen refers to the on-going transformation of the US National Air-space System — an evolution from aground-based system of air traffic control to asatellite-based system of air traffic management).Essentially, Type C EFB applications like Auto-matic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), Cockpit Display of Traffic Information (CDTI)or Controller-Pilot Data Link Communications(CPDLC) will have to be to be carried out with aClass 3 device to be NextGen compliant.

EFB evolution

Whether it’s a relatively cheap $499 iPad act-ing as a Class 1 or 2 EFB, or a fully integrated Class3 supplemental operating platform, what is clearis that the near future will see the complete evo-

lution of the unwieldy old flight bag into an EFBon every aircraft. At the top end of the spectrumthey will comprise a real-time, air-to groundlinked system. As Ultramain’s McCausland as-serts: “To obtain optimal performance, EFBsneed to be connected to ground systems via air-borne data connectivity. This is not to say bene-fits can’t be gained with Class 1 EFB because theycertainly can, but airborne data connectivity ele-vates the level of obtainable benefits. It’s just amatter of time before commercial aviation shiftsto EFB use. It’s too powerful not to.”

The future of EFBs and their increasing func-tionality remains predicated on the continued ex-pansion of connectivity to the aircraft. As eachsubsequent generation of EFB hits the market, theneed to be constantly connected increases, andeventually aircraft will become another nodewithin the IT operations of an aviation network.Data will move up and down between the aircraftand the on-ground maintenance, gate personneland flight operations departments, all with real-time connectivity of the EFB to the airline’s IT sys-tem. It will ultimately be the operational efficiencyand multi-faceted services that will define emerg-ing EFB hardware and software, as their increas-ingly vital role in aviation continues to evolve.

AMOSA Story of Success

“The best fit in terms of functionality, price and market standing,” states easyJet

Read more about the world-class M&E software system at

SWISS-AS.COM


DATA & DIRECTIVES

ADRIA AIRWAYS SLOVENIA PAX A320 V2500-A1 4831 2 4 9662AEGEAN AIRLINES GREECE PAX A320 V2500-A5 67801 23 46 135602AEGEAN AIRLINES GREECE PAX A321 V2500-A5 12342 4 8 24684AER LINGUS IRELAND PAX A320 CFM56-5B 103950 34 68 207901AER LINGUS IRELAND PAX A321 CFM56-5B 15336 6 12 30673AERODYNAMICS INC. U.S (&TERR.) PAX A319 CFM56-5B 2867 1 2 5734AEROFLOT RUSSIAN AIRLINES RUSSIA PAX A319 CFM56-5B 42979 15 30 85958AEROFLOT RUSSIAN AIRLINES RUSSIA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 94553 31 62 189106AEROFLOT RUSSIAN AIRLINES RUSSIA PAX A321 CFM56-5B 44121 15 30 88242AERVENTURE (ALL ENT.) UNKNOWN PAX A319 CFM56-5B 2721 1 2 5443AERVENTURE (ALL ENT.) UNKNOWN PAX A319 CFM56-5B 2867 1 2 5734AERVENTURE (ALL ENT.) UNKNOWN PAX A319 CFM56-5B 3425 1 2 6849AERVENTURE (ALL ENT.) UNKNOWN PAX A319 CFM56-5B 5786 2 4 11571AERVENTURE (ALL ENT.) UNKNOWN PAX A320 CFM56-5B 5492 2 4 10984AERVENTURE (ALL ENT.) UNKNOWN PAX A321 CFM56-5B 3580 1 2 7159AERVENTURE (ALL ENT.) UNKNOWN PAX A321 V2500-A5 2838 1 2 5675AERVENTURE (ALL ENT.) UNKNOWN PAX A321 V2500-A5 2903 1 2 5805AFRIQIYAH AIRWAYS LIBYA PAX A319 CFM56-5B 8342 3 6 16684AFRIQIYAH AIRWAYS LIBYA PAX A320 CFM56-5A 2855 1 2 5711AFRIQIYAH AIRWAYS LIBYA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 27444 9 18 54889AFRIQIYAH AIRWAYS LIBYA PAX A320 V2500-A1 3185 1 2 6370AIGLE AZUR FRANCE PAX A319 CFM56-5A 1999 1 2 3998AIGLE AZUR FRANCE PAX A319 CFM56-5B 5769 2 4 11539AIGLE AZUR FRANCE PAX A320 CFM56-5A 2358 1 2 4717AIGLE AZUR FRANCE PAX A320 CFM56-5B 5339 2 4 10678AIGLE AZUR FRANCE PAX A321 CFM56-5B 11852 4 8 23703AIGLE AZUR FRANCE PAX A319 V2500-A5 2373 1 2 4745AIGLE AZUR FRANCE PAX A320 V2500-A5 2457 1 2 4913AIR ALGERIE ALGERIA PAX A321 V2500-A5 2788 1 2 5576AIR ARABIA UNITED ARAB EMIRATES PAX A320 CFM56-5B 108845 39 78 217689AIR ARABIA MAROC MOROCCO PAX A320 CFM56-5B 5615 2 4 11230AIR ASTANA KAZAKSTAN PAX A319 V2500-A5 2614 1 2 5229AIR ASTANA KAZAKSTAN PAX A319 V2500-A5 5128 2 4 10256AIR ASTANA KAZAKSTAN PAX A320 V2500-A5 19482 7 14 38965AIR ASTANA KAZAKSTAN PAX A321 V2500-A5 6319 2 4 12638AIR BERLIN GERMANY (W. GERM) PAX A319 CFM56-5B 27719 12 24 55439AIR BERLIN GERMANY (W. GERM) PAX A320 CFM56-5B 19023 7 14 38046AIR BERLIN GERMANY (W. GERM) PAX A320 CFM56-5B 91245 32 64 182491AIR BERLIN GERMANY (W. GERM) PAX A321 CFM56-5B 5347 2 4 10694AIR BERLIN GERMANY (W. GERM) PAX A321 CFM56-5B 5788 4 8 11575AIR BERLIN GERMANY (W. GERM) PAX A319 V2500-A5 9449 4 8 18897AIR CAIRO EGYPT PAX A320 CFM56-5B 9529 4 8 19059AIR CAIRO EGYPT PAX A320 V2500-A1 2043 1 2 4086AIR CALEDONIE INTERNATIONAL NEW CALEDONIA PAX A320 V2500-A5 2406 1 2 4812AIR CANADA CANADA PAX A319 CFM56-5B 7705 2 4 15410AIR CANADA CANADA PAX A319 CFM56-5A 109100 33 66 218199AIR CANADA CANADA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 19334 6 12 38667AIR CANADA CANADA PAX A320 CFM56-5A 89256 35 70 178512AIR CANADA CANADA PAX A321 CFM56-5B 35544 10 20 71087AIR CHINA CHINA PAX A319 CFM56-5B 59762 21 42 119523

Operator fleet listing with engineOperator Operator Equip. Equip. Engine Equip. Aircraft Engine Engine Country Role Type Family Utilisation Count Count Utilisation

Aircraft data: Airbus A320 family


DATA & DIRECTIVES

AIR CHINA CHINA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 13388 5 10 26777AIR CHINA CHINA PAX A321 CFM56-5B 68455 27 54 136909AIR CHINA CHINA PAX A319 V2500-A5 32730 12 24 65460AIR CHINA CHINA PAX A320 V2500-A5 59226 21 42 118452AIR COMET SPAIN PAX A320 CFM56-5A 4182 3 6 8365AIR FRANCE FRANCE PAX A318 CFM56-5B 45387 18 36 90774AIR FRANCE FRANCE PAX A319 CFM56-5A 12545 6 12 25090AIR FRANCE FRANCE PAX A319 CFM56-5B 96234 39 78 192469AIR FRANCE FRANCE PAX A320 CFM56-5B 45736 18 36 91472AIR FRANCE FRANCE PAX A320 CFM56-5A 103365 46 92 206730AIR FRANCE FRANCE PAX A321 CFM56-5B 50918 23 46 101837AIR INDIA INDIA PAX A319 CFM56-5B 57165 24 48 114331AIR INDIA INDIA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 11463 4 8 22927AIR INDIA INDIA PAX A321 CFM56-5B 38549 20 40 77098AIR INDIA INDIA PAX A320 V2500-A1 124176 43 86 248353AIR JAMAICA JAMAICA PAX A319 CFM56-5B 908 1 2 1816AIR JAMAICA JAMAICA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 21756 7 14 43513AIR JAMAICA JAMAICA PAX A321 CFM56-5B 10576 3 6 21152AIR MACAU MACAU PAX A319 V2500-A5 11727 5 10 23454AIR MACAU MACAU PAX A320 V2500-A5 3426 2 4 6853AIR MACAU MACAU PAX A321 V2500-A5 17112 7 14 34223AIR MALTA MALTA PAX A319 CFM56-5B 16604 5 10 33207AIR MALTA MALTA PAX A320 CFM56-5A 3718 1 2 7435AIR MALTA MALTA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 22730 7 14 45461AIR MAURITIUS MAURITIUS PAX A319 CFM56-5B 3429 2 4 6859AIR MEDITERRANEE [FRANCE] FRANCE PAX A320 CFM56-5A 1663 1 2 3326AIR MEDITERRANEE [FRANCE] FRANCE PAX A321 CFM56-5B 14156 7 14 28312AIR MEMPHIS EGYPT PAX A320 V2500-A5 4768 2 4 9536AIR MOLDOVA MOLDOVA PAX A320 CFM56-5A 710 1 2 1419AIR MOLDOVA MOLDOVA PAX A320 V2500-A1 611 1 2 1221AIR MOLDOVA MOLDOVA PAX A320 V2500-A5 1592 1 2 3184AIR NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND PAX A320 V2500-A5 45727 12 24 91453AIR ONE [ITALY] ITALY PAX A320 CFM56-5B 41047 26 52 82094AIR VIA BULGARIAN AIRWAYS BULGARIA PAX A320 V2500-A5 6932 4 8 13863AIRASIA MALAYSIA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 323606 95 190 647212AIRBLUE PAKISTAN PAX A319 CFM56-5B 4687 2 4 9373AIRBLUE PAKISTAN PAX A320 CFM56-5B 44394 14 28 88789AIRBLUE PAKISTAN PAX A320 V2500-A5 1733 1 2 3465AIRBLUE PAKISTAN PAX A320 V2500-A1 3171 1 2 6342AIRBLUE PAKISTAN PAX A321 V2500-A5 11350 3 6 22699AIRCRAFT PURCHASE FLEET LTD. (ALL ENT.) UNKNOWN PAX A320 CFM56-5B 10984 4 8 21968ALAJNIHAH AIRWAYS LIBYA PAX A320 V2500-A5 1321 1 2 2641ALITALIA ITALY PAX A319 CFM56-5B 26669 12 24 53337ALITALIA ITALY PAX A320 CFM56-5B 8238 3 6 16476ALITALIA ITALY PAX A320 CFM56-5B 47919 17 34 95839ALITALIA ITALY PAX A321 CFM56-5B 64786 23 46 129572ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS JAPAN PAX A320 CFM56-5B 8767 5 10 17534ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS JAPAN PAX A320 CFM56-5A 46562 22 44 93125ALMASRIA UNIVERSAL AIRLINES EGYPT PAX A320 V2500-A5 1288 1 2 2576AMSTERDAM AIRLINES NETHERLANDS PAX A320 V2500-A1 928 1 2 1856AMSTERDAM AIRLINES NETHERLANDS PAX A320 V2500-A5 2581 1 2 5162ARMAVIA ARMENIA PAX A319 CFM56-5B 3029 1 2 6058ARMAVIA ARMENIA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 3011 1 2 6021ARMAVIA ARMENIA PAX A320 CFM56-5A 3173 1 2 6347ARMAVIA ARMENIA PAX A319 V2500-A5 6220 2 4 12441ASIANA AIRLINES SOUTH KOREA PAX A320 V2500-A5 32611 11 22 65222ASIANA AIRLINES SOUTH KOREA PAX A321 V2500-A5 39736 13 26 79471ATLANTIC AIRWAYS [FAEROE ISLANDS] FAEROE ISLANDS PAX A319 CFM56-5B 2893 1 2 5786ATLAS BLUE MOROCCO PAX A321 CFM56-5B 8968 3 6 17936ATLASJET INTERNATIONAL TURKEY PAX A320 V2500-A5 3611 2 4 7223ATLASJET INTERNATIONAL TURKEY PAX A321 V2500-A5 1683 1 2 3366AUSTRIAN AIRLINES AUSTRIA PAX A319 CFM56-5B 21430 7 14 42859AUSTRIAN AIRLINES AUSTRIA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 24507 8 16 49013AUSTRIAN AIRLINES AUSTRIA PAX A321 CFM56-5B 15318 6 12 30636AVIANCA COLOMBIA PAX A319 CFM56-5B 53703 16 32 107407AVIANCA COLOMBIA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 90541 26 52 181081AVIATION CAPITAL GROUP (ALL ENTRIES) UNKNOWN PAX A319 CFM56-5B 2893 1 2 5786AVIATION CAPITAL GROUP (ALL ENTRIES) UNKNOWN PAX A320 CFM56-5B 8238 3 6 16476AVIATION CAPITAL GROUP (ALL ENTRIES) UNKNOWN PAX A321 CFM56-5B 2838 1 2 5675AVIATION CAPITAL GROUP (ALL ENTRIES) UNKNOWN PAX A319 V2500-A5 2867 1 2 5734AVIATION CAPITAL GROUP (ALL ENTRIES) UNKNOWN PAX A320 V2500-A5 2842 1 2 5683AVIATION CAPITAL GROUP (ALL ENTRIES) UNKNOWN PAX A320 V2500-A5 3171 1 2 6342AVIATION CAPITAL GROUP (ALL ENTRIES) UNKNOWN PAX A321 V2500-A5 4017 1 2 8033AWAS (ALL ENTRIES) UNKNOWN PAX A320 CFM56-5B 2971 1 2 5942AWAS (ALL ENTRIES) UNKNOWN PAX A320 CFM56-5B 8238 3 6 16476AWAS (ALL ENTRIES) UNKNOWN PAX A320 V2500-A5 2746 1 2 5492AWAS (ALL ENTRIES) UNKNOWN PAX A320 V2500-A5 2842 1 2 5683AZERBAIJAN AIRLINES AZERBAIJAN PAX A319 CFM56-5B 4979 3 6 9959AZERBAIJAN AIRLINES AZERBAIJAN PAX A320 CFM56-5A 1862 1 2 3724BAHRAIN AIR BAHRAIN PAX A319 CFM56-5B 5022 2 4 10044BAHRAIN AIR BAHRAIN PAX A320 CFM56-5A 5614 2 4 11227BAHRAIN AIR BAHRAIN PAX A320 CFM56-5B 11164 4 8 22327BANGKOK AIRWAYS THAILAND PAX A320 CFM56-5B 3388 1 2 6776BANGKOK AIRWAYS THAILAND PAX A319 V2500-A5 18074 7 14 36148BANGKOK AIRWAYS THAILAND PAX A320 V2500-A5 7051 3 6 14103BELAIR AIRLINES [SWITZERLAND] SWITZERLAND PAX A319 CFM56-5B 1994 1 2 3988

Operator fleet listing with engine (cont...)Operator Operator Equip. Equip. Engine Equip. Aircraft Engine Engine

Country Role Type Family Utilisation Count Count Utilisation


DATA & DIRECTIVES



BELAIR AIRLINES [SWITZERLAND] SWITZERLAND PAX A320 CFM56-5B 5341 2 4 10682BELLE AIR ALBANIA PAX A320 V2500-A5 1594 1 2 3187BEST AIRLINES TURKEY PAX A321 V2500-A5 4959 2 4 9917BETASTREAM LTD. (ALL ENTRIES) UNKNOWN PAX A320 V2500-A5 5492 2 4 10984BH-AIR BULGARIA PAX A320 CFM56-5A 5716 4 8 11432BLUE WINGS GERMANY (W. GERM) PAX A320 V2500-A5 2799 1 2 5597BOC AVIATION PTE LTD. (ALL ENTRIES) UNKNOWN PAX A319 CFM56-5B 2921 1 2 5841BOC AVIATION PTE LTD. (ALL ENTRIES) UNKNOWN PAX A320 CFM56-5B 3171 1 2 6342BRITISH AIRWAYS UNITED KINGDOM PAX A318 CFM56-5B 5043 2 4 10086BRITISH AIRWAYS UNITED KINGDOM PAX A320 CFM56-5A 9044 5 10 18088BRITISH AIRWAYS UNITED KINGDOM PAX A319 V2500-A5 76839 33 66 153678BRITISH AIRWAYS UNITED KINGDOM PAX A320 V2500-A5 106705 40 80 213410BRITISH AIRWAYS UNITED KINGDOM PAX A321 V2500-A5 24378 11 22 48756BRITISH MIDLAND AIRWAYS UNITED KINGDOM PAX A319 V2500-A5 24599 11 22 49198BRITISH MIDLAND AIRWAYS UNITED KINGDOM PAX A320 V2500-A5 28509 10 20 57018BRITISH MIDLAND AIRWAYS UNITED KINGDOM PAX A321 V2500-A5 41013 13 26 82026BRUSSELS AIRLINES BELGIUM PAX A319 CFM56-5A 2565 1 2 5130BRUSSELS AIRLINES BELGIUM PAX A319 CFM56-5B 10479 3 6 20958BULGARIA AIR BULGARIA PAX A319 CFM56-5B 5591 3 6 11182BULGARIA AIR BULGARIA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 4893 3 6 9787CCM AIRLINES FRANCE PAX A319 CFM56-5B 3375 2 4 6749CCM AIRLINES FRANCE PAX A320 CFM56-5B 5359 2 4 10719CEBU PACIFIC AIR PHILIPPINES PAX A319 CFM56-5B 36242 10 20 72484CEBU PACIFIC AIR PHILIPPINES PAX A320 CFM56-5B 70037 19 38 140073CHINA AVIATION SUPPLIES CORPORATION CHINA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 13878 4 8 27756CHINA AVIATION SUPPLIES CORPORATION CHINA PAX A320 V2500-A5 13878 4 8 27756CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES CHINA PAX A319 CFM56-5B 38085 15 30 76171CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES CHINA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 184419 67 134 368838CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES CHINA PAX A321 CFM56-5B 40044 15 30 80088CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES CHINA PAX A320 V2500-A5 71498 25 50 142997CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES CHINA PAX A319 CFM56-5B 22246 8 16 44493CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES CHINA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 80786 29 58 161572CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES CHINA PAX A321 CFM56-5B 5307 2 4 10615CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES CHINA PAX A319 V2500-A5 90857 33 66 181715CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES CHINA PAX A320 V2500-A5 117967 41 82 235934CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES CHINA PAX A321 V2500-A5 125218 47 94 250436CHONGQING AIRLINES CHINA PAX A319 V2500-A5 8453 3 6 16906CHONGQING AIRLINES CHINA PAX A320 V2500-A5 8207 3 6 16413CIT AEROSPACE CORPORATION (ALL ENTRIES) UNKNOWN PAX A320 CFM56-5B 5492 2 4 10984CIT AEROSPACE CORPORATION (ALL ENTRIES) UNKNOWN PAX A320 V2500-A5 2971 1 2 5942CIT AEROSPACE CORPORATION (ALL ENTRIES) UNKNOWN PAX A320 V2500-A5 5492 2 4 10984CLICKAIR SPAIN PAX A320 CFM56-5A 17270 7 14 34539CLICKAIR SPAIN PAX A320 CFM56-5B 40829 14 28 81658COMORO ISLANDS AIRLINE COMOROS ISLANDS PAX A320 CFM56-5B 2399 1 2 4798CONDOR BERLIN GERMANY (W. GERM) PAX A320 CFM56-5B 3437 1 2 6875CONDOR BERLIN GERMANY (W. GERM) PAX A320 CFM56-5A 39370 11 22 78741CROATIA AIRLINES CROATIA PAX A319 CFM56-5B 8628 4 8 17256CROATIA AIRLINES CROATIA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 4202 2 4 8403CROATIA AIRLINES CROATIA PAX A320 CFM56-5A 4314 2 4 8629CSA CZECH AIRLINES CZECH REP.(FMR CZSLOVK) PAX A319 CFM56-5B 37465 13 26 74930CSA CZECH AIRLINES CZECH REP.(FMR CZSLOVK) PAX A320 CFM56-5B 21930 8 16 43860CSA CZECH AIRLINES CZECH REP.(FMR CZSLOVK) PAX A321 CFM56-5B 4924 2 4 9849CYPRUS AIRWAYS CYPRUS PAX A319 V2500-A5 8628 3 6 17256CYPRUS AIRWAYS CYPRUS PAX A320 V2500-A1 16583 6 12 33167CYPRUS TURKISH AIRLINES CYPRUS PAX A321 CFM56-5B 5231 2 4 10462CYPRUS TURKISH AIRLINES CYPRUS PAX A320 V2500-A5 2243 1 2 4486DEER JET CHINA PAX A319 CFM56-5B 34675 12 24 69351DEER JET CHINA PAX A319 V2500-A5 24177 8 16 48353DONBASSAERO UKRAINE PAX A320 CFM56-5A 2302 1 2 4605DONBASSAERO UKRAINE PAX A320 V2500-A1 2312 1 2 4624DONBASSAERO UKRAINE PAX A320 V2500-A5 4399 2 4 8798DRAGONAIR HONG KONG PAX A320 V2500-A5 23408 9 18 46815DRAGONAIR HONG KONG PAX A321 V2500-A5 14687 6 12 29373DRUK AIR BHUTAN PAX A319 CFM56-5B 3555 2 4 7110EASYJET UNITED KINGDOM PAX A319 CFM56-5B 597575 187 374 1195149EASYJET UNITED KINGDOM PAX A320 CFM56-5B 71395 26 52 142791EASYJET UNITED KINGDOM PAX A320 V2500-A5 17327 5 10 34655EASYJET UNITED KINGDOM PAX A321 V2500-A5 13358 4 8 26716EASYJET SWITZERLAND SWITZERLAND PAX A319 CFM56-5B 40964 12 24 81929EDELWEISS AIR SWITZERLAND PAX A320 CFM56-5B 6664 2 4 13328EGYPTAIR EGYPT PAX A320 V2500-A5 19170 5 10 38339EGYPTAIR EGYPT PAX A320 V2500-A1 25487 7 14 50973EGYPTAIR EGYPT PAX A321 V2500-A5 11472 4 8 22945ETIHAD AIRWAYS UNITED ARAB EMIRATES PAX A320 CFM56-5A 2921 1 2 5842ETIHAD AIRWAYS UNITED ARAB EMIRATES PAX A319 V2500-A5 5779 2 4 11558ETIHAD AIRWAYS UNITED ARAB EMIRATES PAX A320 V2500-A5 45889 16 32 91778EUROFLY ITALY PAX A320 CFM56-5B 18667 6 12 37335EUROFLY ITALY PAX A320 V2500-A5 9674 3 6 19349EVA AIRWAYS TAIWAN PAX A320 V2500-A5 3350 1 2 6700FINNAIR FINLAND PAX A319 CFM56-5B 28521 11 22 57042FINNAIR FINLAND PAX A320 CFM56-5B 30954 12 24 61908FINNAIR FINLAND PAX A321 CFM56-5B 14907 6 12 29815FREE BIRD AIRLINES TURKEY PAX A320 CFM56-5A 9746 3 6 19492FREE BIRD AIRLINES TURKEY PAX A320 V2500-A5 3185 2 4 6371FREE BIRD AIRLINES TURKEY PAX A321 V2500-A5 5090 2 4 10180FRONTIER AIRLINES [CO-USA] U.S (&TERR.) PAX A318 CFM56-5B 35056 10 20 70113


DATA & DIRECTIVES



FRONTIER AIRLINES [CO-USA] U.S (&TERR.) PAX A319 CFM56-5B 135513 38 76 271027

FRONTIER AIRLINES [CO-USA] U.S (&TERR.) PAX A320 CFM56-5B 33166 11 22 66331

G.E.C. CORP (ALL ENT.) UNKNOWN PAX A319 CFM56-5B 2721 1 2 5443





GERMANWINGS GERMANY (W. GERM) PAX A319 CFM56-5B 32477 12 24 64953

GERMANWINGS GERMANY (W. GERM) PAX A319 V2500-A5 53700 18 36 107401

GO AIRLINES INDIA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 58436 19 38 116871

GO AIRLINES INDIA PAX A320 V2500-A5 1964 2 4 3929

GULF AIR BAHRAIN PAX A319 CFM56-5B 2890 2 4 5781

GULF AIR BAHRAIN PAX A320 CFM56-5A 24039 8 16 48078



HAINAN AIRLINES CHINA PAX A319 V2500-A5 29934 11 22 59868

HAINAN AIRLINES CHINA PAX A320 V2500-A5 31259 11 22 62517

HAMBURG INTERNATIONAL GERMANY (W. GERM) PAX A319 CFM56-5B 35883 12 24 71766

HAMBURG INTERNATIONAL GERMANY (W. GERM) PAX A320 CFM56-5B 10984 4 8 21968

HELLAS JET GREECE PAX A320 CFM56-5A 2091 2 4 4182

HONG KONG AIRLINES HONG KONG PAX A320 V2500-A5 19026 12 12 38052

IBERIA SPAIN PAX A319 CFM56-5B 62066 22 44 124133

IBERIA SPAIN PAX A320 CFM56-5A 10855 6 12 21709



IBERWORLD AIRLINES SPAIN PAX A320 CFM56-5B 22497 8 16 44995

INDIGO INDIA PAX A320 V2500-A5 169018 56 112 338035

INDIGO INDIA PAX A321 V2500-A5 31486 14 28 62971

INDONESIA AIRASIA INDONESIA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 21489 6 12 42978

INTERJET [MEXICO] MEXICO PAX A320 CFM56-5B 87225 27 54 174450

ILFC (ALL ENT.) UNKNOWN PAX A320 CFM56-5B 2746 1 2 5492

ILFC (ALL ENT.) UNKNOWN PAX A320 V2500-A5 2971 1 2 5942

ILFC (ALL ENT.) UNKNOWN PAX A321 V2500-A5 2838 1 2 5675

IRAN AIR IRAN PAX A320 CFM56-5A 5092 3 6 10185

IRAN AIR IRAN PAX A320 V2500-A5 5582 2 4 11164

ISRAIR ISRAEL PAX A320 CFM56-5A 5582 2 4 11164

ISRAIR ISRAEL PAX A320 V2500-A5 8373 3 6 16745

IZMIR AIRLINES TURKEY PAX A319 V2500-A5 10371 3 6 20741

IZMIR AIRLINES TURKEY PAX A320 V2500-A5 6695 2 4 13389

JAT AIRWAYS SERBIA PAX A319 CFM56-5B 5229 2 4 10458

JAT AIRWAYS SERBIA PAX A319 CFM56-5B 10458 4 8 20916

JAZEERA AIRWAYS KUWAIT PAX A320 CFM56-5B 76930 26 52 153860

JETBLUE AIRWAYS U.S (&TERR.) PAX A320 V2500-A5 487392 131 262 974785

JETSTAR AIRWAYS AUSTRALIA PAX A320 V2500-A5 124003 33 66 248007

JETSTAR AIRWAYS AUSTRALIA PAX A321 V2500-A5 14760 5 10 29519

JETSTAR ASIA SINGAPORE PAX A320 V2500-A5 20224 5 10 40448

JETSTAR PACIFIC AIRLINES VIETNAM PAX A320 V2500-A5 2541 1 2 5083

JUNEYAO AIRLINES CHINA PAX A319 CFM56-5B 5173 2 4 10346

JUNEYAO AIRLINES CHINA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 39914 14 28 79828

KINGFISHER AIRLINES INDIA PAX A319 V2500-A5 7955 3 6 15909



KORALBLUE AIRLINES EGYPT PAX A319 CFM56-5B 1010 1 2 2020

KORALBLUE AIRLINES EGYPT PAX A320 CFM56-5A 2506 1 2 5012

KUWAIT AIRWAYS KUWAIT PAX A320 CFM56-5B 3182 1 2 6364


DATA & DIRECTIVES



KUWAIT AIRWAYS KUWAIT PAX A320 CFM56-5A 5264 3 6 10528KUWAIT FIN. HSE (ALL ENT.) UNKNOWN PAX A320 CFM56-5B 3545 1 2 7090KUWAIT FIN. HSE (ALL ENT.) UNKNOWN PAX A320 CFM56-5B 5683 2 4 11367KUWAIT FIN. HSE (ALL ENT.) UNKNOWN PAX A320 CFM56-5B 8238 3 6 16476KUWAIT FIN. HSE (ALL ENT.) UNKNOWN PAX A320 V2500-A5 5942 2 4 11884KUWAIT FIN. HSE (ALL ENT.) UNKNOWN PAX A320 V2500-A5 8238 3 6 16476LAN AIRLINES CHILE PAX A318 PW6000 39458 15 30 78915LAN AIRLINES CHILE PAX A319 V2500-A5 76575 22 44 153150LAN AIRLINES CHILE PAX A320 V2500-A5 55945 16 32 111890LAN ARGENTINA ARGENTINA PAX A320 V2500-A5 26695 9 18 53390LAN PERU PERU PAX A319 V2500-A5 6976 2 4 13952LANEXPRESS CHILE PAX A319 V2500-A5 3341 1 2 6682LANEXPRESS CHILE PAX A320 V2500-A5 5893 2 4 11787LAT CHARTER LATVIA PAX A320 CFM56-5A 1416 1 2 2832LIBYAN AIRLINES LIBYA PAX A320 CFM56-5A 5280 2 4 10561LIBYAN AIRLINES LIBYA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 8422 3 6 16845LIBYAN AIRLINES LIBYA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 11230 4 8 22460LIVINGSTON ITALY PAX A321 V2500-A5 8345 3 6 16691LOTUS AIRLINE EGYPT PAX A320 V2500-A5 10338 3 6 20677LUFTHANSA GERMANY (W. GERM) PAX A319 CFM56-5B 28929 10 20 57857LUFTHANSA GERMANY (W. GERM) PAX A319 CFM56-5A 57690 18 36 115380LUFTHANSA GERMANY (W. GERM) PAX A320 CFM56-5B 35698 13 26 71395LUFTHANSA GERMANY (W. GERM) PAX A320 CFM56-5A 99199 36 72 198398LUFTHANSA GERMANY (W. GERM) PAX A319 V2500-A5 4312 1 2 8624LUFTHANSA GERMANY (W. GERM) PAX A321 V2500-A5 168995 61 122 337989LUFTHANSA ITALIA ITALY PAX A319 CFM56-5A 6058 2 4 12116LUFTHANSA ITALIA ITALY PAX A319 CFM56-5B 10782 5 10 21563LUZAIR PORTUGAL PAX A320 V2500-A5 1818 1 2 3636MAHAN AIR IRAN PAX A320 V2500-A5 2791 1 2 5582MAHAN AIR IRAN PAX A321 V2500-A5 2748 1 2 5496MANDALA AIRLINES INDONESIA PAX A320 CFM56-5A 6140 2 4 12281MANDALA AIRLINES INDONESIA PAX A319 V2500-A5 9934 3 6 19868MANDALA AIRLINES INDONESIA PAX A320 V2500-A5 54472 18 36 108944MAURITANIA AIRWAYS MAURITANIA PAX A320 CFM56-5A 2201 1 2 4401MAZ AVIATION UNITED ARAB EMIRATES PAX A320 CFM56-5B 321 1 2 643MCA AIRLINES SWEDEN PAX A320 CFM56-5A 2746 1 2 5492MENA JET LEBANON PAX A320 CFM56-5A 2791 1 2 5582MERIDIANA ITALY PAX A319 CFM56-5B 10011 4 8 20023METRO BATAVIA INDONESIA PAX A319 V2500-A5 7945 2 4 15891METRO BATAVIA INDONESIA PAX A320 V2500-A5 2572 1 2 5143METRO BATAVIA INDONESIA PAX A320 V2500-A1 5876 3 6 11753MEXICANA MEXICO PAX A318 CFM56-5B 37581 10 20 75162MEXICANA MEXICO PAX A319 CFM56-5B 78293 21 42 156586MEXICANA MEXICO PAX A320 CFM56-5B 12225 3 6 24450MEXICANA MEXICO PAX A320 V2500-A5 14180 4 8 28360MEXICANA MEXICO PAX A320 V2500-A1 77228 23 46 154456MIDDLE EAST AIRLINES LEBANON PAX A320 V2500-A5 15465 6 12 30930MIDDLE EAST AIRLINES LEBANON PAX A321 V2500-A5 17470 6 12 34940MIHIN LANKA SRI LANKA PAX A320 V2500-A1 3191 1 2 6381MONARCH AIRLINES UNITED KINGDOM PAX A320 CFM56-5B 7502 2 4 15004MONARCH AIRLINES UNITED KINGDOM PAX A320 CFM56-5A 11055 3 6 22110MONARCH AIRLINES UNITED KINGDOM PAX A321 V2500-A5 57563 17 34 115125MYAIR.COM ITALY PAX A320 CFM56-5A 2746 1 2 5492MYAIR.COM ITALY PAX A320 V2500-A1 6239 2 4 12478NATIONAL AIR SERVICES SAUDI ARABIA PAX A319 CFM56-5B 3585 3 6 7170NATIONAL AIR SERVICES SAUDI ARABIA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 54796 22 44 109591NIKI LUFTFAHRT AUSTRIA PAX A319 CFM56-5B 5446 2 4 10893NIKI LUFTFAHRT AUSTRIA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 38064 13 26 76129NIKI LUFTFAHRT AUSTRIA PAX A321 CFM56-5B 7215 2 4 14430NILE AIR EGYPT PAX A321 CFM56-5B 5774 2 4 11548NORTHEASTERN AIRLINES CHINA PAX A319 V2500-A5 2752 1 2 5504NORTHWEST AIRLINES U.S (&TERR.) PAX A319 CFM56-5A 141556 62 124 283111NORTHWEST AIRLINES U.S (&TERR.) PAX A320 CFM56-5B 5942 2 4 11884NORTHWEST AIRLINES U.S (&TERR.) PAX A320 CFM56-5A 167703 68 136 335406NOUVELAIR TUNISIE TUNISIA PAX A320 CFM56-5A 12710 5 10 25420NOUVELAIR TUNISIE TUNISIA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 16990 6 12 33980NOUVELAIR TUNISIE TUNISIA PAX A321 CFM56-5B 5248 2 4 10496NOUVELLE AIR IVOIRE IVORY COAST PAX A319 CFM56-5B 2307 1 2 4615NOUVELLE AIR IVOIRE IVORY COAST PAX A321 CFM56-5B 2887 1 2 5774NOVAIR AIRLINES SWEDEN PAX A321 V2500-A5 8513 3 6 17026OLYMPIC AIRLINES GREECE PAX A319 CFM56-5B 2893 1 2 5786OLYMPIC AIRLINES GREECE PAX A320 V2500-A5 5672 2 4 11344ONUR AIR TURKEY PAX A320 V2500-A5 305 1 2 609ONUR AIR TURKEY PAX A321 V2500-A5 21089 7 14 42177PHILIPPINE AIRLINES PHILIPPINES PAX A319 CFM56-5B 10097 4 8 20195PHILIPPINE AIRLINES PHILIPPINES PAX A320 CFM56-5B 61150 20 40 122300QANTAS AUSTRALIA PAX A320 V2500-A5 66592 21 42 133183QATAR AIRWAYS QATAR PAX A319 V2500-A5 10451 4 8 20902QATAR AIRWAYS QATAR PAX A320 V2500-A5 83401 28 56 166802QATAR AIRWAYS QATAR PAX A321 V2500-A5 36689 12 24 73379ROSSIYA RUSSIAN AIRLINES RUSSIA PAX A319 CFM56-5A 3625 2 4 7250ROSSIYA RUSSIAN AIRLINES RUSSIA PAX A319 CFM56-5B 13994 8 16 27989ROSSIYA RUSSIAN AIRLINES RUSSIA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 5229 2 4 10459ROSSIYA RUSSIAN AIRLINES RUSSIA PAX A320 CFM56-5A 6127 2 4 12254ROYAL AIR MAROC MOROCCO PAX A321 CFM56-5B 3280 1 2 6559ROYAL BRUNEI AIRLINES BRUNEI PAX A319 V2500-A5 5282 2 4 10563

FACT: Max rotationalspeed 2,550 rpm

JUST FACT, NO SPIN

If you want to promote in the 2012 edition of The Engine Yearbook, or if you would like any other information, pleasecontact: Alan Samuel on Tel: +44 (0) 207 579 4846 or via Email: [email protected]

AIRCRAFT TECHNOLOGY’Sannual publication for theaero-engine professional


DATA & DIRECTIVES



ROYAL BRUNEI AIRLINES BRUNEI PAX A320 V2500-A5 6680 2 4 13360ROYAL JORDANIAN AIRLINES JORDAN PAX A319 V2500-A5 11958 4 8 23915ROYAL JORDANIAN AIRLINES JORDAN PAX A320 V2500-A5 13034 4 8 26069ROYAL JORDANIAN AIRLINES JORDAN PAX A321 V2500-A5 11398 4 8 22796ROYAL WINGS JORDAN PAX A320 CFM56-5A 2791 1 2 5582S7 AIRLINES RUSSIA PAX A319 CFM56-5A 41245 13 26 82491S7 AIRLINES RUSSIA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 20870 7 14 41740S7 GROUP UNKNOWN PAX A320 CFM56-5B 5266 2 4 10533SATA INTERNATIONAL PORTUGAL PAX A320 CFM56-5A 2953 1 2 5905SATA INTERNATIONAL PORTUGAL PAX A320 CFM56-5B 7871 3 6 15741SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES SAUDI ARABIA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 44654 16 32 89308SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES SAUDI ARABIA PAX A321 V2500-A5 293 1 2 586SCANDINAVIAN AIRLINES SYSTEM SWEDEN PAX A319 V2500-A5 11032 4 8 22063SCANDINAVIAN AIRLINES SYSTEM SWEDEN PAX A321 V2500-A5 21422 8 16 42843SEAGLE AIR SLOVAK REPUBLIC PAX A320 CFM56-5A 2410 1 2 4821SEAGLE AIR SLOVAK REPUBLIC PAX A320 V2500-A5 2725 1 2 5450SHANGHAI AIRLINES CHINA PAX A321 V2500-A5 26537 10 20 53073SHENZHEN AIRLINES CHINA PAX A319 CFM56-5B 14291 5 10 28582SHENZHEN AIRLINES CHINA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 75406 26 52 150811SHENZHEN AIRLINES CHINA PAX A320 V2500-A5 79568 28 56 159135SIBIR AIRLINES RUSSIA PAX A319 CFM56-5A 2282 1 2 4564SICHUAN AIRLINES CHINA PAX A319 V2500-A5 40695 15 30 81390SICHUAN AIRLINES CHINA PAX A320 V2500-A5 83303 29 58 166606SICHUAN AIRLINES CHINA PAX A321 V2500-A5 42264 15 30 84528SILKAIR SINGAPORE PAX A319 V2500-A5 30217 10 20 60434SILKAIR SINGAPORE PAX A320 V2500-A5 50610 16 32 101220SKY AIRLINES TURKEY PAX A320 CFM56-5A 1089 2 4 2178SKY AIRLINES TURKEY PAX A321 V2500-A5 4253 2 4 8506SKYSERVICE AIRLINES CANADA PAX A320 V2500-A5 1534 1 2 3069SKYTRADERS AUSTRALIA PAX A319 CFM56-5B 2921 1 2 5841SMARTLYNX AIRLINES LATVIA PAX A320 CFM56-5A 4113 2 4 8226SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA PAX A319 V2500-A5 24659 11 22 49318SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA PAX A320 V2500-A5 42112 15 30 84224SPANAIR [SPAIN] SPAIN PAX A320 V2500-A5 52171 19 38 104343SPANAIR [SPAIN] SPAIN PAX A321 V2500-A5 14522 5 10 29043SPIRIT AIRLINES [USA] U.S (&TERR.) PAX A319 V2500-A5 136280 38 76 272559SPIRIT AIRLINES [USA] U.S (&TERR.) PAX A320 V2500-A5 44565 15 30 89130SPIRIT AIRLINES [USA] U.S (&TERR.) PAX A321 V2500-A5 8319 2 4 16637SPRING AIRLINES CHINA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 57083 18 36 114165SRILANKAN AIRLINES SRI LANKA PAX A320 V2500-A5 2543 2 4 5087SRILANKAN AIRLINES SRI LANKA PAX A320 V2500-A1 2980 1 2 5960STAR FLYER JAPAN PAX A320 CFM56-5B 12734 4 8 25468SWISS INTERNATIONAL AIR LINES SWITZERLAND PAX A319 CFM56-5B 18717 7 14 37434SWISS INTERNATIONAL AIR LINES SWITZERLAND PAX A320 CFM56-5B 2746 1 2 5492SWISS INTERNATIONAL AIR LINES SWITZERLAND PAX A320 CFM56-5B 59856 21 42 119712SWISS INTERNATIONAL AIR LINES SWITZERLAND PAX A321 CFM56-5B 20080 6 12 40161SYRIANAIR SYRIA PAX A320 CFM56-5A 2791 1 2 5582SYRIANAIR SYRIA PAX A320 V2500-A5 18697 6 12 37395TACA INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES EL SALVADOR PAX A319 CFM56-5B 3425 1 2 6849TACA INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES EL SALVADOR PAX A319 V2500-A5 39584 12 24 79168TACA INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES EL SALVADOR PAX A320 V2500-A5 83425 23 46 166851TACA INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES EL SALVADOR PAX A321 V2500-A5 20515 5 10 41030TAM LINHAS AEREAS BRAZIL PAX A319 CFM56-5B 7217 2 4 14435TAM LINHAS AEREAS BRAZIL PAX A320 CFM56-5B 199836 53 106 399671TAM LINHAS AEREAS BRAZIL PAX A319 V2500-A5 78538 25 50 157077TAM LINHAS AEREAS BRAZIL PAX A320 V2500-A1 20047 6 12 40095TAM LINHAS AEREAS BRAZIL PAX A320 V2500-A5 182006 48 96 364013TAM LINHAS AEREAS BRAZIL PAX A321 V2500-A5 29158 7 14 58316TAME ECUADOR ECUADOR PAX A320 CFM56-5B 2807 1 2 5613TAME ECUADOR ECUADOR PAX A319 V2500-A5 1927 1 2 3854TAME ECUADOR ECUADOR PAX A320 V2500-A5 4817 2 4 9634TAP AIR PORTUGAL PORTUGAL PAX A319 CFM56-5B 64851 19 38 129702TAP AIR PORTUGAL PORTUGAL PAX A320 CFM56-5A 10357 3 6 20713TAP AIR PORTUGAL PORTUGAL PAX A320 CFM56-5B 47493 13 26 94986TAP AIR PORTUGAL PORTUGAL PAX A321 CFM56-5B 11236 3 6 22472TAROM ROMANIA PAX A318 CFM56-5B 8794 4 8 17589THAI AIRASIA THAILAND PAX A320 CFM56-5B 30679 9 18 61358THOMAS COOK AIRLINES [BELGIUM] BELGIUM PAX A320 CFM56-5B 18431 5 10 36861THOMAS COOK AIRLINES [BELGIUM] BELGIUM PAX A320 V2500-A5 3794 1 2 7587THOMAS COOK AIRLINES [UK] UNITED KINGDOM PAX A320 CFM56-5B 24276 6 12 48552THOMAS COOK AIRLINES [UK] UNITED KINGDOM PAX A321 CFM56-5B 12334 4 8 24669THOMAS COOK AIRLINES [UK] UNITED KINGDOM PAX A320 V2500-A5 3892 1 2 7784THOMAS COOK AIRLINES [UK] UNITED KINGDOM PAX A320 V2500-A1 14895 4 8 29790THOMAS COOK AIRLINES SCANDINAVIA A/S DENMARK PAX A320 CFM56-5B 7413 2 4 14826THOMAS COOK AIRLINES SCANDINAVIA A/S DENMARK PAX A321 CFM56-5B 23470 6 12 46940THOMSON AIRWAYS UNITED KINGDOM PAX A320 CFM56-5B 16993 5 10 33987THOMSON AIRWAYS UNITED KINGDOM PAX A321 CFM56-5B 6221 2 4 12442TIGER AIRWAYS SINGAPORE PAX A319 V2500-A5 5353 2 4 10705TIGER AIRWAYS SINGAPORE PAX A320 V2500-A5 56005 16 32 112011TIGER AIRWAYS AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA PAX A320 V2500-A5 21858 6 12 43717TRANSASIA AIRWAYS TAIWAN PAX A320 V2500-A5 1532 1 2 3064TRANSASIA AIRWAYS TAIWAN PAX A321 V2500-A5 8803 5 10 17606TRAVEL SERVICE AIRLINES CZECH REP.(FMR CZSLOVK) PAX A320 CFM56-5A 2006 1 2 4011TUNIS AIR TUNISIA PAX A319 CFM56-5B 3754 1 2 7509TUNIS AIR TUNISIA PAX A319 CFM56-5A 7263 3 6 14526TUNIS AIR TUNISIA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 5615 2 4 11230


DATA & DIRECTIVES



TUNIS AIR TUNISIA PAX A320 CFM56-5A 29086 12 24 58172TURK HAVA YOLLARI TURKEY PAX A321 CFM56-5B 5510 2 4 11021TURK HAVA YOLLARI TURKEY PAX A319 V2500-A5 12294 4 8 24588TURK HAVA YOLLARI TURKEY PAX A320 V2500-A5 71473 22 44 142946TURK HAVA YOLLARI TURKEY PAX A321 V2500-A5 62919 18 36 125838TURKUAZ AIRLINES TURKEY PAX A321 CFM56-5B 3474 1 2 6948TURKUAZ AIRLINES TURKEY PAX A320 V2500-A5 2658 1 2 5316UNITED AIR LINES U.S (&TERR.) PAX A319 V2500-A5 161023 68 136 322046UNITED AIR LINES U.S (&TERR.) PAX A320 V2500-A5 226343 104 208 452686UNITED EAGLE AIRLINES CHINA PAX A319 CFM56-5B 1640 3 6 3281UNITED EAGLE AIRLINES CHINA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 1802 1 2 3604UNITED EAGLE AIRLINES CHINA PAX A320 V2500-A5 2678 1 2 5356URAL AIRLINES RUSSIA PAX A320 CFM56-5A 13358 4 8 26716URAL AIRLINES RUSSIA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 23155 10 20 46310URAL AIRLINES RUSSIA PAX A321 CFM56-5B 2688 1 2 5377US AIRWAYS U.S (&TERR.) PAX A319 CFM56-5B 137894 54 108 275787US AIRWAYS U.S (&TERR.) PAX A320 CFM56-5B 89466 29 58 178932US AIRWAYS U.S (&TERR.) PAX A321 CFM56-5B 127601 36 72 255203US AIRWAYS U.S (&TERR.) PAX A319 V2500-A5 149602 47 94 299204US AIRWAYS U.S (&TERR.) PAX A320 V2500-A1 44486 15 30 88972US AIRWAYS U.S (&TERR.) PAX A320 V2500-A5 201777 60 120 403553US AIRWAYS U.S (&TERR.) PAX A321 V2500-A5 100579 28 56 201159USA 3000 AIRLINES U.S (&TERR.) PAX A320 CFM56-5B 25562 9 18 51123UZBEKISTAN AIRWAYS UZBEKISTAN PAX A320 CFM56-5B 13166 5 10 26332VALUAIR SINGAPORE PAX A320 V2500-A5 6490 2 4 12979VERTIR AIRLINES OF ARMENIA ARMENIA PAX A320 CFM56-5A 822 1 2 1645VIETNAM AIRCRAFT LEASING COMPANY UNKNOWN PAX A321 V2500-A5 2838 1 2 5675VIETNAM AIRLINES VIETNAM PAX A320 CFM56-5B 19681 10 20 39362VIETNAM AIRLINES VIETNAM PAX A321 V2500-A5 56429 21 42 112859VIRGIN AMERICA U.S (&TERR.) PAX A319 CFM56-5B 30446 10 20 60892VIRGIN AMERICA U.S (&TERR.) PAX A320 CFM56-5B 73195 22 44 146390VISTAJET LUFTFAHRTUNTERNEHMEN AUSTRIA PAX A319 V2500-A5 11571 4 8 23143VLADIVOSTOK AIR RUSSIA PAX A320 CFM56-5A 5266 2 4 10533VLADIVOSTOK AIR RUSSIA PAX A320 CFM56-5B 6458 3 6 12915VOLARE AIRLINES ITALY PAX A320 CFM56-5B 5354 2 4 10709VOLARIS MEXICO PAX A319 V2500-A5 111845 31 62 223690VOLARIS MEXICO PAX A320 V2500-A5 8457 2 4 16915VUELING AIRLINES SPAIN PAX A320 CFM56-5B 51710 17 34 103419WATANIYA AIRWAYS KUWAIT PAX A320 CFM56-5B 7722 3 6 15444WHITE AIRWAYS PORTUGAL PAX A319 CFM56-5B 2893 1 2 5786WHITE AIRWAYS PORTUGAL PAX A319 V2500-A5 758 1 2 1516WHITE AIRWAYS PORTUGAL PAX A320 V2500-A5 3736 1 2 7472WIND JET ITALY PAX A319 CFM56-5A 4718 2 4 9435WIND JET ITALY PAX A320 CFM56-5A 9636 4 8 19272WIND JET ITALY PAX A319 V2500-A5 5794 3 6 11587WIND JET ITALY PAX A320 V2500-A1 3922 2 4 7844WIND JET ITALY PAX A320 V2500-A5 5001 2 4 10002WIZZ AIR BULGARIA BULGARIA PAX A320 V2500-A5 6064 2 4 12127WIZZ AIR HUNGARY HUNGARY PAX A320 V2500-A5 170423 61 122 340846WIZZ AIR UKRAINE UKRAINE PAX A320 V2500-A5 4581 2 4 9162XL AIRWAYS FRANCE FRANCE PAX A320 CFM56-5A 1442 2 4 2885XL AIRWAYS FRANCE FRANCE PAX A320 CFM56-5B 6822 2 4 13644ZEST AIRWAYS PHILIPPINES PAX A320 V2500-A5 7105 3 6 14210


DATA & DIRECTIVES

FAA airworthiness directives — large aircraft

Summary of biweekly listings for the last two months

Biweekly 2012-04

2009-11-02C CFM International CFM56-2, -3, -5A, -5B, -5C, and -7B Remove HPC 4-9 spools from service that have a P/N and S/N listed in AD before accumulating 8,900 cycles-since-repair at PTLLC or within 1,100 cycles from the effective date of the AD.2012-02-14 Boeing 737 series Perform a one-time detailed inspection to determine the colour of the aero/fire seals of the blocker doors on the thrust reverser torque boxes on the engines. For any aero/fire seal having a completely grey colour (which is the colour of seals with part number (P/N) 315A2245-1 or 315A2245-2), with no red at the upper end of the seal replace the aero/fire seals of the blocker doors on the thrust reverser torque boxes on the engines with new, improved aero/fire seals IAW SB 737-78-1074.2012-03-02 Boeing 767-200 and -300 Change the wire bundle route and wiring, install a new relay and applicable wiring in the CACTCS, and do an operational test of the cooling pack system IAW with SB 767-21-0246 or 767-21-0234.2012-03-05 Bombardier BD-700-1A10 and BD-700-1A11 For specified aircraft, do an inspection of oxygen pressure regulators having P/N 806370-06 to determine if the serial number is listed in Table 2 of the Accomplishment Instructions of Bombardier SB 700-35-011. If listed, replace the affected oxygen CRA IAW SB 700-35-011.2012-03-09 Boeing 747SP Replace or modify any rudder PCM with applicable P/N.2012-03-10 Airbus A340-642 For specified aircraft, modify the fire extinguishing system from a three-bottles solution with 4 flow metering compact unit, into a two-bottles solution with 2 flow metering systems equipped with upgraded water absorbing filter elements IAW SB A340-26-5020.2012-03-51 Lockheed As specified Gain access to the wing spar box between wing stations 40 and 84.5. Clean and perform inspection. Make repairs as necessary.2012-04-01S Rolls-Royce RB211-Trent Supersedes AD 2003-16-18. Remove from service the parts listed in Table 1 of the AD before exceeding the new life limit indicated.2012-04-05S General Electric GE CF6-80 Supersedes AD 2007-12-07. Remove from service ECUs with part numbers (P/Ns) listed in Table 1 of AD.

Biweekly 2012-05

2012-02-15S Boeing 757 series Supersedes AD 2007-03-01. Do a general visual inspection to determine if the clamp is installed on the lower bracket on the left wing IAW SB 757-24- 0105. If the clamp is missing, before further flight, install a clamp on the lower bracket on the left wing.2012-02-17 Boeing 757-200, -200PF, -200CB, and -300 Do ultrasonic and general visual inspections for cracking and corrosion of the front spar lower chord at the fastener locations common to the side link support fitting at WS 292 IAW SB 757-57-0065. Conduct repairs if any cracking or corrosion is found.2012-02-18 Dassault MYSTERE-FALCON 50 Revise the maintenance programme to include ''Non- Destructive Check of Flap Tracks 2 and 5,'' Maintenance Procedure 57-607, of Chapter 5-40, ''Airworthiness Limitations,'' of the Dassault Falcon 50/50EX Maintenance Manual.2012-03-03 Fokker Services F.27, F.28 Do a detailed visual inspection of the tritium exit signs and emergency lighting strips for required brightness IAW SBF50-33-038. Replace if insufficiently bright.2012-03-08S Bombardier CL-600 Supersedes AD 2006-14-05. Modify the MLG door, IAW SB 670BA-32-017.2012-03-12 General Electric CF6-80C2 Perform a one-time inspection of the No. 3 bearing packing. Remove the packing from service before further flight if the wrong packing P/N is found on the engine.2012-04-02 Bombardier CL-600 Revise the maintenance programme to incorporate Task 271000-218, Discard of the Outboard Wing Aileron Pulleys.2012-04-04 Pratt & Whitney PW40, PW41, PW44, PW46 Remove FMU P/Ns 53T335 (HS801000-1), 55T423 (HS 801000-2), and 50U150 (HS 801000-3) and install an FMU that incorporates the modification in paragraphs 3.C through 3.E of the Accomplishment Instructions of Hamilton Sundstrand Alert SB JFC131-2-73-A24.

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DATA & DIRECTIVES

2012-04-06 Support Services Model 328-100 Modify the engine control box assembly with additional aural alerting function and a revised power lever guiding gate IAW SB 328-76-486.2012-04-07 Airbus A330 & A340 Replace the affected retraction bracket of the MLG specified in table 1 of AD with a serviceable part.2012-04-08 Bombardier DHC-8 Install a new CRES mounting adapter with new bolts by incorporating MODSUM 8Q101890 IAW SB 8- 27-110.2012-04-09 Boeing 747 Do detailed inspections for scribe lines of affected lap and butt splices, wing-to-body fairing locations, and external repair and cutout reinforcement areas, and do all applicable related investigative and corrective actions IAW SB 747-53A2563.2012-04-12 Bombardier CL-600-2B16 Replace the ADG power feeder cable IAW SB 604- 24-024.2012-04-13S Rolls-Royce RB211 Supersedes AD 2011-09-07. Clean and perform a fluorescent penetrant inspection of the HP compressor stage 1 to 4 rotor discs at the first shop visit after accumulating 1,000 cycles since new on the stage 1 to 4 rotor discs.2012-04-14 Rolls-Royce RB211-Trent 800 Inspect the front combustion liner head section for cracking. If found, remove the front combustion liner head section from service at the next shop visit.

Biweekly 2012-06

2012-02-01 Pratt & Whitney PW2037, PW2037(M), and PW2040 Perform restoration of the fan blade leading edge contour using one of the specified methods.2012-04-11S Airbus A318, A319, A320, A321 Supersedes AD 97-22-13. Replace both FWC units with FWC part number 350E053020909 IAW SB A320-31-1334.2012-04-15S Pratt & Whitney JT9D Supersedes AD 2007-05-17. Inspect the stated lifelimited parts at each piece-part opportunity.2012-05-03 Boeing 747 Modify the fluid drain path in the leading edge area of the wing IAW SB 747-57-2332.2012-05-04 Boeing 767-200, -300, -300F, and -400ER Do a general visual inspection of the number 2 windows to determine whether the link arms are in the over-center position, and do all applicable modifications IAW SB 767-56A0010.2012-05-05 Bombardier CL-215 Do a general visual inspection to determine if either universal solid (round head) rivets or flush rivets of the bracket assembly of the emergency water dump pulley are installed IAW SB 215-A543. Perform corrective actions.2012-05-07 Bombardier DHC-8-102, -103, and -106 Do a general visual inspection of the upper edge of each leaf spring for chamfer IAW SB A8-76-32. Do all applicable rework before further flight. Install a new friction brake nut.2012-05-08 Embraer ERJ-170 Do a general visual inspection for fuel leakage on the wings, close to the rib 10 area, while both tanks are fully fuelled IAAW SB 170-57-A053.2012-06-01 Cessna Model 560XL Modify the drain installation of the tailcone stinger on the aft canted bulkhead (i.e., install a drain and rubber seals) IAW SB 560XL-53-16.2012-06-02 Airbus A300 & A310 Replace the aluminium high pressure pipe having P/N A5231006100300 with a new pipe made of corrosion resistant stainless steel and having P/N A5231007000600 IAW SB A300-52-6065.2012-06-04 Bombardier DHC-8-400, -401, and -402 Do a general visual inspection of the structure and gearbox drain paths for blockages by sealant IAW SB 84-53-48. If any blockages are found, before further flight, remove blockages.2012-06-05 Bombardier DHC-8-400, -401, and -402 Incorporate ModSum 4-126513, Seal System Shut Off Valve Control Logic Change IAW SB84-52-69.2012-06-07S Airbus A330 & A340 Supersedes AD 2010-17-02. Perform a torque check of the pneumatic quick-disconnect union of each pitot probe having Goodrich P/N 0851HL, S/N 267328 through 270714 inclusive, to determine if the torque is adequate.

Note:The letter ‘C’ after the AD number denotes a correction to the original ADThe letter ‘S’ after the AD number indicates that the AD supersedes a previous ADThe letter ‘R’ after the AD number indicates a revision to the original AD The letter ‘E’ after the AD number indicates an emergency ADThe letters ‘FR’ indicate the final rule of an emergency AD

Please note that the above information is quoted for interest purposes. The latest versions of the ADs issued by the FAA must be used for reference purposes

FAA airworthiness directives — large aircraft (cont...)

May-2012

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