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The aircraft spare parts purchasing process is largely the same as it was years ago. Buyers run through the list of parts they’ve been tasked to acquire, and they work with the same partners that they always have via email, phone calls and so on. These deal-makings are tracked in spreadsheets, and buyers record quotes and make buying decisions sometimes days after a quote was requested.

While this process old-fashioned, slow, and analog, the traditional model has been kept in place in spite of other options that would be improvements have advanced. With the traditional procurement model, buyers have simply been left scrambling to find the right parts at custom pricing.

The framework to evolve beyond the old, manual processes is to move to a digitalized Marketplace and remove these piecemeal negotiations, instead allowing organizations to select and order the necessary parts from the vendors that best fits their needs, whatever those may be in the moment.

The needs of the buyers can be more complex and wide-ranging, but the Locatory.com Marketplace function can simplify the process, by bringing together up-to-the-minute quotes from vendors in one place. A purchaser’s request includes parts, needed quantities and delivery timing and they identify all matching products based on those specifications.

In addition to offering a better scope of the market, this allows to move quickly in securing parts without ever leaving the site or sets a starting point for further negotiations. The negotiation element is a perfect example in which meshing the new, tech-focused process with the traditional, human-driven one provides the answer. With API connection, marketplace has the opportunity to integrate within the ERP systems and rather than the hassle of going to a site, making a purchase and returning to their organization’s system to record all of the information, everything happens directly in the ERP.

Instead of adding more steps to the purchaser’s workflow, a marketplace can make the existing process better, more efficient and faster. Locatory.com Marketplace empowers its partners with technology and algorithms to do the work of matching real-time demand from buyers with supply from around the globe and improving the overall logistics performance.

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Sometimes keeping aircraft parts in stock to fulfill contractual obligations or seek opportunities once they arise, makes a valid business case for companies to pursue. However, if not done correctly the strategy can put unnecessary strain on cash flow and resources. Jevgenijus Petronis, Head of Product at Locatory.com, a leading online aircraft parts marketplace, provides some possible solutions on how to tackle this problem.

Manage parts differently

Different part numbers require different storage conditions. Just like milk has to be kept in the refrigerator not to spoil quickly, aircraft parts are subject to specific storage conditions. Not all items are consumed in the same amount of time, thus C category items cannot be held and handled like A items.

“For example, safety stock is a great planning strategy for fast-moving A category items, while the same cannot be said about B or C parts. For them, safety time is a better planning alternative to be used. When this strategy is used the average inventory is one-half the replenishment quantity plus the remaining existing inventory on-hand when the replenishment is delivered. By doing this, the organisations can keep much less safety stock and avoid the risk of scrapping the items due to excess inventory,” – comments Jevgenijus Petronis.

Sell off excess inventory

If by any chance the company has accumulated a large surplus of slow-moving inventory, there are several possible solutions to sell off the excess quickly.

Target the customer who may be ready to buy – develop a forward-looking model, where the contact list is based on historical orders, requests, equipment installed at their facilities, and possible future projects. This tactic is efficient and highly successful since, if researched correctly, it allows companies to stay one step ahead and move their stock effectively and quickly.

Explore online aircraft parts marketplaces – this practice is often called pooling, as the company provides access for interested parties to see the location, price, and quantity of a particular number. One of the most effective ways to enter large pools of such information is through dedicated online aircraft marketplaces.

“With more than 3500 buyers and sellers on the platform and 12.1 billion parts listed, it is easy to connect with possible clients and off-load stock quickly and effectively. With the added benefit of secure shipping services provided by our partners, the pooling and the final purchase process becomes easy, straightforward, and most importantly efficient and quick,” – added the Locatory.com representative.

By effectively managing and controlling the size of an inventory, it is possible to rectify the issue and turn slow-moving parts into a strong business model, and ultimately into profit. Whether it means a new planning strategy or new ways to connect with buyers and sellers, smarter stock management is an indication of a strong and versatile aircraft parts business.

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If a jet were to use today’s batteries, 1.2 million pounds of batteries would be required just to generate the power of the jet engine it would be replacing. This weight would effectively need an additional eight jet planes just to carry that weight! About 200 kilowatts of battery power will be needed for liftoff, enough to power more than 100 average homes.

Due to the innovative engineering that made the modern jet engine efficient, it is difficult to replace with a battery-operated version. Electric planes use batteries to power an electric motor instead of jet fuel to power an engine. They need a motor that can turn electric power into mechanical energy and they need a battery. The modern jet engine has the highest power density of any machine, this is why jet engines are used in any aircraft.

The aviation industry is now looking for ways to integrate more electricity into certain functions of the jet planes while retaining the design of the jet-fueled engines. Short haul are much closer to going electric,  in particular if battery technologies become somewhat lighter. Smaller, short flight all-electric or hybrid planes might be available sometime in the 2030s.

The longer flights, however, would depend on significant innovation in battery technology, including necessary battery weight reductions. Aviation companies are also researching ways to introduce more electricity into the engine itself, replacing the gear box that drives the hydraulic pump, fuel pump and oil pump with electrical systems. Eventually, jet planes could evolve into hybrid vehicles, much like cars – with both a jet engine and an electric motor.

Electric airplanes could provide the scale of transformation required, and many companies are racing to develop them. Not only would electric propulsion motors eliminate direct carbon emissions, they could reduce fuel costs by up to 90 percent, maintenance by up to 50 percent and noise by nearly 70 percent.

According to Forbes magazine – Private companies like Tesla are also investing heavily in electric flight, hoping to become a big player, with Elon Musk claiming that the company’s batteries could achieve the needed power density for electric planes by 2023.

Source: www.forbes.com

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No doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a technological advancement in the aviation industry. Given that air travel and overall aviation industry was affected in the previous year, the role of new technologies in revolutionizing air travel, cargo sector, global advancements in sustainability and autonomous transportation, in addition to new space services, satellite connectivity and much more, will play a vital role.

For this reason, many airlines have adopted innovative technology to maximize comfort and improve the travel experience. That said, here are some emerging trends in the aviation industry.

The big Move towards Sustainability

For some time now, the aviation industry has been experiencing the need for an eco-friendlier approach to air travel. Although leveraging sustainable approaches may require extensive research and development, fortunately manufacturers are creating more fuel-efficient aircraft frames, leveraging lighter materials, aerodynamic design changes, and alternative fuel sources.

Furthermore, aviation industry is reducing and eliminating emissions from aircraft ground operations in in the following areas: electric ground power units, electric passenger coach transportation, recycling and waste management. There are innovative changes beyond carbon reduction, new cabin crew and pilot uniforms made from recycled plastic bottles.

Cryptocurrency as a Payment Option

With Starbucks and Microsoft now accepting Bitcoin as a payment, should the travel industry be doing the same? Despite the fact, it is not yet legalized in the aviation sector, bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies show tremendous potential. The aviation industry loves innovative technology and will adopt those that show great promise. Leveraging this innovative payment option could make flight bookings easier since cryptocurrency payments are faster and incur fewer transaction costs as compared to credit card payments.

Contactless technology

The trend for a contactless passenger experience in airports has been underway for a number of years already, but the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly accelerated the adoption of contactless technology. The contactless experience has also reinforced changes to the way people shop at the airport terminal. The “Just Walk Out” technology offers shoppers an innovative and contactless walk-through experience that allows travelers to shop safely and contactless.

Digital health passports

The concept of health or immunity passports is not new, and has, indeed, been around for some time. The CommonPass project was established in 2019 after a partnership between the Common Project, a coalition of private and public partners, and the World Economic Forum. This platform verifies vaccination records and lab results by encouraging passengers to upload their results to their mobile phones. The COVID-19 pandemic has and continues to challenge the aviation industry, but the efforts that have been and continue to be made in terms of technology, like advanced self-service and biometrics, robotics & automation give hope for an optimistic.

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For several years, industry analysts have been predicting that 3D printed aircraft spare parts will be the next great technological leap in engineering. With Oliver Wyman – a leading international management consulting firm – predicting that by 2030, 3D printing could represent a US$400 billion aviation and automotive manufacturing market, the innovative production method is a potential industry disrupter that will affect parts manufacturers, airlines, MROs, and passengers. 

Current applications

Despite being a relatively new technology, 3D printing has already found its way into aviation. While there are no entirely 3D printed engines or fuselages, the principle of additive manufacturing (where traditional part making is combined with 3D printing) has already benefited engine manufacturers. For example, General Electric use 3D-printed jet fuel nozzles which are 25% lighter and 5 times more durable and offer incredibly efficient fuel injection into the combustion chamber when compared to traditional nozzles.

Cost-efficient design and manufacturing

Each aircraft component created has to be conceptualised and prototyped before mass-production. In the case of GE’s LEAP engines, traditionally manufactured fuel nozzles had to be recast 8 times during the engine’s development phase until optimal performance figures were reached. With additive manufacturing, small, but important parts like nozzles can be designed, printed and prototyped in a matter of hours, as opposed to month-long waiting periods with cast metal parts. In a test performed by Boeing, wing trim and drill tools were printed in just 30 hours. In the ‘usual’ production process, the prototyping alone would have taken 3 months. It would seem that the additive manufacturing process has obvious time and material saving benefits over the standard production method.

Smaller environmental impact

Since 3D-printed parts are lighter – in an industry where less weight means fuel savings – AM parts indirectly make aircraft more environmentally friendly and more cost-effective. In a proof of concept run by Autodesk, a 3D-printed aircraft seat, on average, was 56% lighter than a conventional counterpart. If outfitted on an actual A380 aircraft, the weight reduction would collectively save up to 63 tonnes of aviation fuel alone. Since any company with the necessary equipment for 3D printing could offer their services to airlines, there would be no need for aircraft part fly outs in an AOG situation.

In a situation example, let’s assume that an overhead bin covering has to be replaced. Normally, an airline would have to find that exact part in their warehouses, load it on a special charter or regular flight, wait for the part, install it, and then release the aircraft into operations. With 3D printed parts, there is no need to have them shipped nationally, or internationally as they can be printed directly at the destination. As a result, one less flight is needed, reducing CO2 emissions considerably.

“The greater availability of 3D-printed spare parts will allow airlines to save on shipping while benefiting both the environment and themselves. With the right contacts list, e.g., an online aircraft aftermarket parts marketplace connecting buyers and sellers, there would be no need to have a stock of parts throughout the world; manufacturing could be performed precisely when needed at the same country where AOG event happened. The biggest challenge for 3D-printed parts in aviation is certification. Every part destined to fly has to be monitored continuously throughout the manufacturing process. When it comes to monitoring thousands of different production sites instead of ten or hundred at most, quality assurance will be a hurdle that needs to be overcome,” says Jevgenijus Petronis, Head of Product at Locatory.com, a global online aircraft parts marketplace and a member of the Avia Solutions Group, an international aerospace business group. 

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It has been predicted that the global aviation industry is expected to fully recover by around 2024-2025, fleet expansion and rising confidence is being seen across the industry, which could be the “ray of sunshine” for the civil aviation industry.

Airline travel in the U.S. has bounced back from its pandemic lows, but it remains below pre-Covid levels. Leisure travelers flying within the U.S. have returned far more quickly than people going on corporate trips. However, business travel is viewed as an important step in the aviation industry’s recovery, particularly for the airlines because it brings in much higher fares than leisure travel.

In the past five weeks Europe has risen from worst-performing region ranked by seats as a percentage of 2019 levels to third out of six. The key driver has been an easing of international travel restrictions. Europe’s total seat numbers are 36.5% below 2019 levels.

Although this is not very different from last week’s -37.0%, Europe has moved from fourth to third in the regional ranking. The Middle East, where seat capacity is down by 46.8% versus 2019, remains at the bottom. This week (week commencing 26-Jul-2021), Africa is down by 39.8%, Asia Pacific by 38.7%, Latin America by 28.7%, and North America by 23.5%. (source: www.centreforaviation.com)

Yet Europe’s progress on both capacity and easing travel restrictions has been stronger in the EU than in the UK. The prospects for the most important for European airline revenue, look better in 2021 than in 2020. Forward bookings are up, but further relaxation of international travel restrictions will determine the pace of the recovery.