MRO Europe Amsterdam 2023

Between October 16 and October 20, 2023, the TURBOMECANICA delegation traveled to Amsterdam, Netherlands, to participate in the major international event dedicated to the MRO segment, called MRO EUROPE 2023.

MRO EUROPE is the largest event of its kind in Europe, where airlines, MRO organizations, OEMs, lessors, suppliers, and industry experts gather to explore and define trends in the international aviation maintenance industry. The event itself served as a hub for B2B meetings, creating opportunities for connections, and was a place where companies forged new relationships, reunited with business partners, and met suppliers of solutions and services.

This year marked the 25th edition of MRO Europe at RAI Amsterdam. The event concluded with over 10.700 registered participants, surpassing previous attendance records.

Activities carried out by the TURBOMECANICA delegation at MRO Europe:

The Turbomecanica delegation participated in the following conferences:

• Supply Chain Headaches: Making the Best of It
  Speakers: Adil Slimani – Head of Aftermarket Advisory (host), Daniela Serafini – VP Customer Services – Airbus, Ivan Gonzalez Vallejo – Director of Strategy and Supply Chain – Iberia Maintenance, Pedro Macías Domínguez – Chief Technical Officer – Air Europa, Jan Kotka – COO – Magnetic MRO
  The topics discussed included:
• Shortage of raw materials and supplies, leading to delays in production and repair processes.
• Rising prices of raw materials and supplies, which lead to increased costs for finished products and services.
  Solutions identified by repairers to overcome these challenges included:
• Dismantling engines, repairing components, parts, and subassemblies to be used for repairing other engines.
• Contacting other partners (MRO or suppliers) to find the necessary spare parts.
• Actions taken toward manufacturers to increase the production capacity of materials and spare parts.
• Looking Elsewhere: Understanding Global Influences on European MRO
  Speakers: James Pozzi – Aviation Week (host), Frasie Currie – CEO – Joramco, Olivier Legrand – President – Revima, Piotr Kaczor – CEO – Avia Prime, Sven Taubert – Head of Corporate Strategy & Market Analytics – Lufthansa Technik
  The discussions focused on the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on the operational climate in the European region. Topics included:
• The impact of the Russia-Ukraine war.
• Rising labor costs.
• Rising prices of titanium, especially from Russia.
• Rising prices due to changes in policies (regarding energy, exports, etc.) in EU countries.
  All these price increases negatively impact manufacturers, repairers, and operators in the aerospace sector.
  One solution some repairers are considering is the Middle East (India, Thailand), which has grown significantly in recent years and doesn’t face the same price increases for both labor and energy. This makes it an attractive market for major European MROs.
• Components: Reducing Lead Times on Repairs
  This conference focused on the challenges in the component repair environment. It was emphasized that the target repair time for components should be 15 days TAT, but several issues were raised that make this target difficult to achieve. Major challenges included: lack of workforce, raw material shortages, and production of new parts.
• Capacity Shortages and New Capabilities
  The main issue addressed in this conference was the supply chain, as well as the lack of qualified personnel. One of the reasons for this shortage is that the industry is not as attractive as it once was. This labor shortage creates an “inflation” of prices that cannot be transferred to the customer. One possible solution is “doing more with less.”
• Forecast
  The forecast has not changed substantially since the last conference, and projections remain in constant growth over the next ten years, with a 3.4% CAGR in engine repairs. The numbers are similar to those from the last conference, with global demand estimated at $1.2 trillion over the next ten years, 46% of which is for engine maintenance, followed by component repairs at 23%.

Additionally, during the two days of the exhibition, discussions were held with a number of exhibitors and visitors, including:

• Jim Nypels – APOC AVIATION
• Austeja Andriuskaite – Senior Customer Success Manager – LOCATORY
• Silvia Borisova – Purchasing Manager – AERO PB
• Jonathan Berger – Managing Director – ALTONAVIATION
• Monika Mars – Customer Support License Manager – SAFRAN
• Anna Marian – AAR CORPORATION
• Tayani Adam and Liz Novoselova – AVIATION WEEK
• Lucas De Carvalho – Sales and Business Development Director – REVIMA ENGINE PARTS
• Tiago Filipe – Business Development Manager – AEROSERVICES
• Kis Attila – GE AEROSPACE
• Gabriel Radu – ABSOLUTE EXHIBITS

Turbomecanica is becoming increasingly recognized in the MRO market. At this exhibition, 54 exhibitors and visitors visited our stand, and discussions were initiated with them. We were able to establish close contact with companies already active in the European market and have received some commitments for the purchase of a CFM56 engine or components. Furthermore, we continued our promotion campaign for the factory and Turbomecanica’s existing and future capabilities.