Gallery: Aftermarket News From Farnborough 2022

Embraer and Fokker Services announced plans to expand collaboration on several projects, mainly related to services and support. The collaboration, which builds on a Memorandum of Understanding signed in October 2021, will focus on aftermarket support topics including aircraft modifications and customization, program support, logistics and repair services.

Turkish Technic signed a component maintenance by the hour agreement with ST Engineering covering Turkish Airlines’ Boeing 787 fleet. Under the contract, ST Engineering will provide component repair management with a dedicated consignment stock in Istanbul and a regional component pool. The agreement also includes reciprocal repair work with Turkish Technic.

Korean Air signed a five-year TrueChoice Material Service Agreement with GE covering spare parts, component repair and used serviceable part upgrades for GE90-115B engines powering its fleet of Boeing 777 aircraft. GE says its TrueChoice Material program offers high-quality new and used OEM parts, advanced repairs and technology upgrades to enhance engine performance.

ITA Airways signed a TotalCare aftermarket services agreement with Rolls-Royce covering off-wing repair and overhaul for the Trent XWB engines powering its fleet of six Airbus A350-900s. The agreement will run for approximately 12 years.

It also signed up for Airbus’ Skywise Health Monitoring fleet performance tool. It will use Skywise for maintenance planning activities on its all-Airbus fleet, which also includes A320 and A330 aircraft.

Two European startup airlines also signed TotalCare services agreements with Rolls-Royce. British low-cost carrier flypop’s agreement with the OEM covers the Trent 700 engines powering its four Airbus A330ceos, which it will use to begin passenger operations to South Asia this year. Norse Atlantic Airways’s agreement covers the Trent 1000 engines powering its fleet of 15 Boeing 787s.

Embraer and LOT Polish Airlines expanded their component pooling program by adding seven additional aircraft to the renewed agreement. The parts program now covers a total of 44 aircraft and more than 300 parts. LOT was the launch customer for the Embraer E170 and initially signed up for the OEM’s aftermarket pooling program in 2012.

All Nippon Airways has expanded its Integrated Material Services (IMS) contract with Satair to include delivery of expendable material used on its non-Airbus fleet. The agreement also extends its existing long-term IMS contract for its A320 and A380 fleet for a multi-year period. According to Satair, ANA's new agreement makes it the first customer to use its IMS solution on a multi-fleet scale.

Delta TechOps entered a service agreement with CFM International to become a LEAP-1B MRO provider. The deal coincides with Delta Air Lines ordering 100 LEAP-1B powered Boeing 737 MAX aircraft and signing a deal with CFM for 200 LEAP-1B engines to power these aircraft. According to CFM, Delta TechOps will be the first company in North America to offer LEAP-1B repair capability.

Canary Islands flag carrier Binter Canarias S.A. signed on to trial the Beacon maintenance coordination platform. Starting in September, it will trial the platform to support maintenance operations of its five E195-E2 jets. Binter, which also operates ATR 72 turboprops, says the trial can gradually expand to other aircraft types. Beacon says Binter is its launch customer for the commercial aviation market in Europe.

JetBlue also announced a trial partnership with Beacon to simplify coordination of its maintenance events and workforce collaboration. The airline will first trial the platform at select bases including New York and Boston before gradually expanding its rollout to other airports and routes.

De Havilland Canada launched three cargo conversion options for the Dash 8-400, including Quick Change, Package Freighter and Freighter with Large Cargo Door configurations. The new variants will be offered as retrofits under service bulletins approved by Transport Canada. The OEM says it will provide support including kit installation and on-site support through its global support infrastructure.

Ethiopian Airlines Group signed a proposal to purchase two of the Large Cargo Door conversion kits. The proposal also includes an option for two additional kits. Ethiopian says it is working with the OEM to finalize a definitive and binding agreement.

BBAM Limited Partnership signed a firm order with Boeing for nine more 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters, bringing its order total up to 40 aircraft. BBAM will be the first customer to take delivery of a 737-800BCF conversion at the new conversion line set to open next year at KF Aerospace.

Meanwhile, Taikoo (Shandong) Aircraft Engineering Co. (Staeco) added a seventh 737-800BCF conversion line and inducted its first aircraft this month.

Embraer told Aviation Week it had finished design and configuration for its new E190F and E195F passenger-to-freighter program, and it is now beginning selection of suppliers. The OEM says it is on track to induct the first aircraft in the first quarter of 2024, with conversion taking approximately 6-8 months. It says conversion time should decrease to about three months after the program’s ramp up. Embraer said it would start with five modifications per year and expand to up to 12 by 2026.

Vietravel Airlines signed two General Terms Agreements with SR Technics related to CFM56-5B engine maintenance and engine lease support. The airline currently operates three Airbus A321-200s and plans to grow the fleet by 25 aircraft in the next four years. SR Technics says the first scheduled engine shop visit is expected in the next year.

Turkish Airlines signed an eight-year maintenance and fleet upgrade contract with Pratt & Whitney Canada covering the 82 APS3200 auxiliary power units (APU) on its Airbus A320s. Under the contract, up to 25 new APS3200 APUs will be installed per year. The airline says the contract will enable maintenance and gradual renewal of its fleet in an efficient, cost-effective manner while increasing fleet availability.

South Africa’s Safair Operations Pty Ltd. Signed a five-year agreement to extend GE Aviation’s TrueChoice Overhaul service for the MRO of CFM56-7B engines powering FlySafair’s Boeing 737-800 fleet. It originally signed up for TrueChoice in 2019, and the new agreement extends through 2027.

Gabon’s Afrijet signed a 12-year Guaranteed Maintenance Cost Plan with Pratt & Whitney Canada covering the engines on three ATR 72-600 aircraft it has on order. The plan will cover one PW127M engine and two PW127XT-M engines. According to Pratt, the contract is a flexible, “pay as you go” engine management option that lowers operating costs and simplifies fleet operations management.

Emerald Airlines signed a Global Maintenance Agreement with ATR covering the airline’s growing fleet of ATR 72-600 aircraft. The agreement gives the airline access to ATR’s component spares pool and maintenance services.

De Havilland Canada signed two new agreements under its Component Solutions Program with Air Niugini and flybe. Under the agreements, it will manage component MRO for the airlines’ Dash 8-400 aircraft, as well as provide access to its strategically located exchange pool.

Ethiopian Airlines signed an agreement with Boeing for its 787 Landing Gear Exchange Program, which includes 19 787-8 landing gear exchanges. Boeing says it will provide the airline with predictable pricing, reduced inventory investment and instant access to its global inventory.

The airline also signed up for Boeing’s Airplane Health Management service for its 787 and 737-8 fleets. The digital service uses real-time fault forwarding and customizable analytics tools to reduce unscheduled maintenance.