For complete write-ups please visit www.avm-mag.com Sarah MacLeod Executive Director Aeronautical Repair Station Association Commercial


In your opinion, what is the state of the aviation maintenance industry? The state of the maintenance industry is still filled with uncertainty despite its significant contributions to the global economy. The design, production, operation, and maintenance of civil aviation is largely dependent on the temperaments of multiple civil aviation authorities, diminishing certainty in business planning. Contract maintenance will continue to experience global expansion fueled by growth in emerging markets. Technologically, repair stations are becoming more sophisticated, constantly pushing innovation. What were the biggest developments for ARSA in 2012? The Association was involved on more fronts than ever to serve its members. The legislative team scored a major victory when, after four years and 23 extensions, a new FAA reauthorization bill was signed into law containing many changes suggested by ARSA. The regulatory team filed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief with the United States Supreme Court asking for its intervention in an ICA availability matter; submitted substantial comments to the FAA rewrite of 14 CFR part 145, the federal regulations governing repair stations. The Association pointed out several instances where the proposed rule deviates from keeping aligned the regulations, current business models, and future safety management system requirements. The team also facilitated a reversal of an FAA legal opinion on maintenance duty time, enabling efficiencies and reduction of costs for air carriers. Another major development was broadening the Association’s global reach. ARSA held the annual Strategic Leadership Conference in Hamburg, Germany, the first time hosting an international event. What are the biggest changes you have seen in the MRO industry in the last several years? In America, in-house maintenance operations will continue to revert to contract maintenance. There are two reasons for the continuity of that modeI—focus on actually flying passengers and cargo efficiently and effectively by operators and the specialization of the maintenance industry. As the European model has established, contracted maintenance is simply more cost efficient and reliable than what in-house operations can provide. Airlines will continue to team up with specialists and the most sophisticated organizations around to maintain fleets. How has ARSA had to adapt recently to help its members? While the Association’s core, regulatory and legislative advocacy, will never change, as the Association grows, so will its role. More than half (57 percent) of our members told us they can’t find workers for technical positions, so we are ramping up to address the industry-wide workforce development challenge. ARSA will team with the Aviation Technical Education Council’s and other knowledgeable experts to promote internal and external aviation maintenance technical programs. What are the trends, big or small, you are beginning to see in the MRO business? Industry trends seem to come and go; the hard fact is that legislative and regulatory complexities will continue to plague development and stability. Our 2011 member survey established that an overwhelming majority (83 percent) of the small and medium-sized businesses (less than 500 employees), are seeking new foreign repair station certificates. Unfortunately, the current ban on foreign repair station certificates dictated by Congress has halted the ability to meet this demand. The direct correlation between congressional mandates and regulatory hurdles is obvious and will continue. The maintenance industry must meet this challenge by becoming as sophisticated in politics as it has in the business of aviation safety. What do you hear your members say is the biggest concern they have for the future of the MRO business? Members have two major and inter-related concerns: over-regulation and government intrusion. The burden of compliance and keeping up with new regulations, not just international aviation safety mandates (the easy part) but each country’s occupational safety and health, environmental protection, internal revenue (taxation) and export controls, is unending. Add that burden to workforce recruitment and retention makes for future opportunities for improvement. The industry is lucky to have many people thinking creatively to overcome these challenges, but these issues have gotten in the way of growth and will change the nature of the industry if left uncorrected.


Jorge Sobral Member, Executive Board for Maintenance & Engineering Business Unit TAP Maintenance & Engineering Commercial


In your opinion, what is the state of the aviation maintenance industry? Facing tremendous challenges, resulting from the global economic crisis which is common, I would say, to all the economic activities, but also to some specifics of this industry. Among these I would highlight the entrance of the OEMs in the aftermarket. What were the biggest developments for your company in 2012? A clear option for the investment in R&D, as a way to attain a differentiation that we believe may be a key factor for survival. In line with this policy we have developed two projects, one of them already fully implemented (MEERA – Mobile Enabled Engine Repair Application) and the other one in the final stage of implementation (Mobility in Line Maintenance). MEERA, a state of the art technology, is believed to be the first such fully integrated operational application of RFID to aircraft engine components within an MRO. An innovative mobile solution harnessing RFID technology is being used to help track and trace engine components undergoing overhaul. The system allows for improved real time visibility within the process to trace components from disassembly, through the repair process, to reassembly, generating operational efficiencies and helping secure full traceability and greater assurance for customer engines. This project was successfully delivered in collaboration with MEGASIS (a TAP group company), Airbus, Accenture and OAT systems. [TAP is also implementing] Mobility in Line Maintenance. The need to reduce Line Maintenance actions that interrupt routine aircraft operation, to optimize available workforce regarding aircraft/ engine qualifications and skills and to provide mechanics a simple way to access technical documentation, request for materials, tools and/ or support equipment and to access MRO MIS in a simple way, drove us to the design and implementation of a Mobility project at Line Maintenance. TAP M&E engaged, then, in an application that had to be Real Time, Fleet Agnostic and Line Maintenance Task oriented.


26 Aviation Maintenance | avm-mag.com | April 2013


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