Coupling maintenance services with equipment lease arrangements seems to have been a smart move for Abu Dhabi's Mubadala Aerospace.
The number of component support contracts, in particular, have increased for its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) subsidiaries, Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies (ADAT) and Zurich-based SR Technics, since the group formed its engine and component financing arm, Sanad Aero Solutions, in early 2010.
Its tally of aircraft under contract for component MRO has more than doubled from around 450 two years ago to approximately 1,000 today, said James Stewart, the newly appointed chief executive for both ADAT and SR Technics.
As a result of the increasing acquisition and maintenance cost for components on new-generation aircraft, he expects that more airlines will lease the equipment in future and take the opportunity to place both the financing and technical support in the same hands.
Nevertheless, Sanad was not included in last month's reshuffling within the top executive boards of ADAT and SR Technics. The purpose was to create a single contact point and standardise contract procedures for MRO customers and suppliers, while Sanad will mainly deal with leasing clients, he said.
To streamline the maintenance supply chain, Stewart signed a contract with Airbus at the Dubai air show to implement the latter's automated inventory management system, Airbus Managed Inventory (AMI), for high-usage and non-repairable parts.
Source: Flight Daily News
