MICHAEL PHELAN / LONDON
Manufacturer approval spares could account for one-fifth of the market by 2015, survey says, despite opposition
Non-original equipment manufacturer (OEM)-sourced parts will account for one-fifth of the commercial aero engine spares market by 2015 despite opposition from powerplant makers, according to an industry survey of parts manufacturer approval (PMA) spares.
The survey, to be released this week, was conducted by consultancy AT Kearney's aerospace and defence practice in conjunction with the University of Stuttgart's Institute for Aircraft Propulsion Systems.
In the survey of maintenance, repair and overhaul providers, OEMs, operators and PMA parts manufacturers, respondents suggest the PMA engine parts market will grow by 10% a year until a market share of 21% is achieved by 2015. PMA parts are not generally considered to be a "specific risk to aviation safety", the report says, although OEM respondents are most likely to raise this concern, with 36% classifying it as a safety issue. Component price is highlighted as the prime reason for procuring PMA parts, with a 31% average cost saving reported, followed by parts availability.
PMA parts acceptance is most widespread in the USA, with Asia and Europe slow to embrace them, but Marc Foerstemann, a principal at AT Kearney, believes European Union anti-trust legislation may speed the sector's development.
Foerstemann says that, in the automotive industry, OEMs face competition in the aftermarket from their own approved parts suppliers, and a similar trend could emerge in aerospace. "The OEMs' business model depends on spares, and perceived overpricing due to a disadvantaged cost structure has, in effect, created the PMA market."
Within the maintenance industry, however, there is still considerable reluctance to embrace PMA parts. "How can somebody copy a design and claim to have covered all the engineering background?" says Marc Ventre, president of Snecma Services. The French CFM International CFM56 overhaul provider adds: "We offer no warranty protection whatsoever for customers who choose PMA parts."
Bruce Hunter, general manager of British Airways' Cardiff maintenance centre, recognises the trend of OEMs moving into total support-type agreements, but sees opportunities in the PMA marketplace. "We actively seek BFE [buyer furnished equipment] manufacturers to reduce costs, and it's a market that BA could push into," he says.
Source: Flight International
