November 2016
AFRA Board of Directors
AFRA President
Derk-Jan van Heerden,
AELS BV

AFRA Vice President
Amy Bann,
Boeing Commercial Airplanes

AFRA Treasurer
Marco Gehr,
ELG Haniel Group

AFRA Secretary
Bradley Gregory,
Air Salvage International

Tim Zemanovic, Aircraft Demolition

Kahina Oudjehani, Bombardier

Gary Spoors, GJD Services Ltd.

Nigel Marsh, Rolls-Royce plc

Keri Wright, Universal Asset Management
AFRA Staff
Reed Hitchcock
Executive Director

Laura Dwulet
General Manager

David Bernstein
Staff Associate 

Industry News
"Previously, aircraft were retired on average at 30-plus years old. Over the past 10 years this has changed due to the improvement in technology, making newer aircraft more efficient - the average age of aircraft being retired is now 20 years and the time scale is reducing; some of the newest aircraft GJD Services Ltd have disposed of were only eight years old..."
- CIWM Magazine: 
Materials Handling & Recycling

"ASI engineers try to maximize the financial and environmental return of each plane and every item on board. First, they extract the engines, which can have a value of $2 to $4 million and sometimes make up 80 to 85 percent of the entire aircraft's worth. They then re-lease them back to an airline or break them up for spare parts to sell..."
- The Huffington Post

"As airlines continue to adjust their fleet sizes up and down, adjusting the level of maintenance support across an aircraft fleet is a vital aspect of MRO strategy. During the past few years, the airline industry has faced several challenges such as higher operating costs, growing competition and macroeconomic uncertainties..."
- Aviation Week
AFRA Committee Updates
Please email AFRA staff to get involved in AFRA's committees:
  • AFRA BMP Development Committee
  • AFRA Communications Committee
  • AFRA Government Affairs Committee
  • AFRA R&D Committee
Upcoming Industry Events
Save the Date! 

ISTAT Latin America Forum
November 9-10, 2016
Panama City, Panama

MRO Latin America
January 25-26, 2017
Cancun, Mexico

AFRA 2017 Annual Meeting
July 9-11, 2017
Reston, VA

Growing Our Social Media Footprint
Please let us know about your company's Facebook, LinkedIn and/or Twitter profile. Follow AFRA and share our news that you think might be interesting for your followers - we will of course do the same with your messages!

Association Update 
From Kahina Oudjehani, Bombardier
Dear AFRA member,
 
This fall 2016 was a busy time for the aviation world, when Montreal welcomed the holding of the 39th ICAO Assembly as well as many events organized around, such as the International World Aviation Forum. The ICAO assembly, which meets at least once every three years, is a key moment where Member States review and validate ICAO's complete work program in the economic, legal and technical cooperation fields.
 
The ICAO assembly saw the adoption of the Global Market Base Measure, now renamed as CORSIA, which will address CO2 emissions from international aviation. Under the scheme, aircraft operators will have to monitor and report their international CO2 emissions and eventually offset these emissions, starting with a voluntary phase in 2021, through the acquisition and redemption of emissions units (also known as offsets).
 
End-of-life has also gained traction at ICAO with the recognition of end-of-life as one environmental aspect to be considered. By asking member states to work together - through ICAO - to exchange information and develop guidance for best practices on aircraft end-of-life, which includes aircraft dismantling and recycling, we can work to further strengthen the industry.
 
The two weeks of the Assembly provided the occasion to illustrate the importance of sustainability and environment and how it is radically changing the way the aviation sector is moving forward. Therefore, as AFRA members, we should be proud of being in an association that has anticipated way in advance the importance of sustainability in the aircraft life cycle as well as creating opportunity of business and growth for our members.
 

Kahina
 
Association Updates
Government Affairs Program

Similar to the rest of the world, AFRA is closely following the U.S. presidential election. After the votes are tallied on November 8, not only will there be a new U.S. president, but potentially up to 34 newly elected U.S. Senators and 435 U.S. House of Representatives. AFRA will closely monitor the election results, report on any outcomes impacting the aviation industry, and begin gathering information on the priorities of the new Administration and Congress. 

The AFRA Government Affairs Committee has finalized talking points and collateral materials which can be used to promote AFRA and its BMP to congressional offices and regulatory agencies. Once the results of the U.S. Presidential and U.S. Congress elections are announced, we will update the AFRA congressional and regulatory database accordingly.

Please email AFRA staff to participate in the Government Affairs Committee.

For a report on recent policy & regulatory updates, please click  here


AFRA Communications Committee

The AFRA Communications Committee will be meeting via teleconference later this month to discuss future articles and press releases, additions to the AFRA website, and prioritization of its 2017 initiatives. To join in on the call, please click on the scheduling poll link to indicate your availability. 

AFRA R&D Committee

AFRA's Research & Development Committee recently held its initial teleconference. The Committee's first order of business is to develop and prioritize its list of long-term quantifiable research topics and goals. The Committee will then plan to invite research organizations involved in aviation, recycling, and other relevant research to take part in an AFRA network of research partners. Have ideas for research topics, or suggestions of research organizations to invite to participate in the new network of AFRA research partners?   Email staff with your ideas and to get involved with this Committee. 


AFRA Staff Attends MRO Europe


On October 18 - 20, in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Aviation Week held its annual MRO Europe conference at the RAI Amsterdam center, which proved to be a powerful forum to learn about the most pressing business challenges and crucial issues affecting the MRO industry today. MRO Europe provided an outlet to network with close colleagues, peers, competitors, and also develop new relationships within the aircraft end-of-life community. 

Membership Update

Congratulations to Our Newest Members!



Nantong Aircraft Maintenance & Engineering Co., Ltd. (CAMECO) is the first MRO dedicated to small/middle-sized aircrafts with approval from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), granting the highest level of maintenance capability for Bombardier, Gulfstream, Boeing and Airbus. CAMECO is a CAAC Part 145 MRO company, the first independent MRO in China, the first specialized General Aviation MRO company in China, and the largest maintenance service provider for Bombardier and Gulfstream business aircrafts in China (about 80% market share), and the only listed MRO in China's capital market (stock code 834310). 




Omni Air International (OAI) is a privately owned and managed United States FAA Part 121 certificated air carrier entering its third decade of air transportation solutions. Omni provides worldwide passenger charter operations to a diverse customer base including tour operators, scheduled and charter airlines, cruise lines, corporations (shuttles and incentive programs), sports teams, alumni groups, and global government agencies. In 2011, Omni became the first U.S. non-scheduled air carrier to achieve IOSA registration, the industry's benchmark for global safety management.

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