For complete write-ups please visit
www.avm-mag.com Bill Norman President MRO Services Timco
Bill Norman President MRO Services Timco
continued on page 54
What is the state of the industry? The MRO industry is coming out of a rough stretch that started in 2008 with the onset of the global economic downturn. As airlines have been “catching up” with deferred items and as parked aircraft have been returning to service, the maintenance industry has experienced better capacity utilization and improving financials. That said, spiking fuel prices and political-economic tensions around the globe—particularly in the Middle East—seem to be creating new threats as MRO airline customers have once again begun to plan schedule reductions and increased parking of older fleet types. It is safe to say that while a sense of optimism about the state of the industry has been building in recent months, many of us are regarding it with a sense of caution, keeping a wary eye on external affairs. How is 2012 looking so far in terms of the health of the industry? Is 2012 the comeback year? For the MRO industry, 2012 certainly has started the year on a stronger footing than we’ve experienced in recent years. MRO demand has been growing in some regions like North America and Asia. Whether the year ends as strongly as it has started will depend largely on how long high fuel costs put pressure on airlines. The good news so far is that, despite the rise in air fares that has tracked higher fuel costs, passengers are still booking travel including in higher, revenue-generating business class. Do presidential (or global) politics impact your business?
Dale Forton President Professional Aviation Maintenance Association Where is the state of the industry?
Dale Forton President Professional Aviation Maintenance Association
continued on page 54
I believe the industry is on a slow comeback. Corporate Aviation sales are up as well as some corporate MRO’s reporting they are booked solid. My concern is General Aviation with the price of Avgas. Many small FBO’s are hanging in there but they need new customers as does the industry as a whole. GA is where they come from. Do presidential (or global) politics impact the maintenance business? Yes. The policies of a President and our Congress set a tone for aircraft ownership as we have seen in from this last four years. Two well established and respected flight departments (GM and Ford) shut down because of politics. Just because of a lack of understanding of what a corporate aircraft does for an international business. This set a tone for other corporations to consider keeping the aircraft or possibly a reduction in staff and operations. What will be the biggest challenges the industry will face in the next three to five years? Educating the public that corporate aircraft ownership is beneficial and why it is good for a corporation. This public opinion needs to be put back into perspective. We also need to start communicating with our middle school age children about careers in aviation. We need to start building an influx into our industry now as many see a shortage of both maintenance professionals and pilots coming over the horizon.
Dave Brant Senior Vice President, Customer Service The Cessna Aircraft Company
Dave Brant Senior Vice President, Customer Service The Cessna Aircraft Company
continued on page 54
Where is the state of the business jet maintenance industry? At Cessna, we have seen a steady, though slight, uptick in maintenance needs during the past 6-8 months. We also seen a steady increase in aircraft upgrades, for example: cabin upgrades, including interiors and in-flight entertainment systems; avionics upgrades; new exterior paint. Customers are eager to do these upgrades to preserve and help increase the resale value of the aircraft and personalize their cabin to reflect their own tastes or the company image. This shows us that customers are flying their Citations more frequently and regularly to help grow their own businesses and maintain their all-important customer relationships. How is 2012 looking so far in terms of the health of the maintenance industry? Is 2012 the comeback year? Not sure if “comeback year” is something most of us are comfortable predicting right now, but 2012 has started out slightly stronger than 2011. Though 2011 was a stronger year for us across the company, we are continually striving to be better. As customers continue to fly their business jets, the maintenance industry will continue to see growth as we serve our customers in all areas of maintenance: everything from servicing their airplane, annual routine maintenance, selling more parts to full modernization and refurbishments.
26 Aviation Maintenance |
avm-mag.com | April / May 2012
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64