Can you pinpoint one or two industry trends that emerged in 2013? One could argue that the debates about OEMs' increasing penetration of the aftermarket became more vociferous this year. But did they? While safety issues will be mainly black or white, many MRO issues have shifted to shades of gray.

When Northern European and North Atlantic air traffic came to halt in 2010 following the eruption of the Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajokull, Air France Industries KLM Engineering and Maintenance (AFI KLM E&M) continued to serve its customers by shipping parts and components from its operations in Miami and Kuala Lumpur. This is one example of the risk-management initiative supporting its supply chain operations, say Benjamin Moreau and Harmen Lanser, members of the component services team.

Fuel savings, durability are behind enhanced powerplant repairs

The FAA is allowing early adoption of its newly revised airworthiness approval tag, clearing up confusion among field offices that were prohibiting the new form’s use until the mandated retiring of the current form in early 2014. The agency earlier this year finalized changes to the 8130-3 form, which—depending on the circumstance—is required for domestic airworthiness approval, export approval or return-to-service approval of engines and aircraft parts.

Airbus has started preparations to certify the A340 for 475 seats

Qantas Airways has announced plans for drastic cost-cutting—including 1,000 job losses—in a move that significantly raises the stakes in the carrier’s quest for government assistance.

Lufthansa says an oil overfill of a newly replaced engine on one of its Airbus A380s is the likely cause of a serious cabin fume event on Nov. 29. “We believe that surplus oil got into the cabin through the bleed air system,” Chief Pilot Werner Knorr says in an internal memorandum obtained by Aviation Week. The incident happened on Flight LH592 from Frankfurt Airport to O R Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, and involved the aircraft with registration D-AIME.

SR Technics, beefing up its presence in an expanding region, has teamed up with Garuda Maintenance Facility AeroAsia (GMF) to create a component support facility in Jakarta. The five-year deal calls for the shop to serve as part of the SR Technics Integrated Component Services (ICS) network, handling about 150 part numbers.