It’s a natural human tendency to want to fit in. To be part of something greater, to not be isolated or alone.

But what about PMA parts? They, too, just want to fit in. Whether to use these replacement parts or not has long been the subject of industry debate. As we find out in our cover story, the quality of PMA parts is not only at the regulated standard, but often at much higher levels. While some OEMs dissuade or disallow PMA usage, acceptance of them is growing – even among lessors, which was long a sticking point.

Every part of an aircraft must fit into a greater whole, of course, and the MRO industry plays a vital role in ensuring every last bit of a plane remains in safe working order. The maintenance of the wheels and brakes of an aircraft can perhaps be considered relatively simple, high-volume work, based on overhaul rather than repair – but there is a dynamic world beneath the surface that ensures these components keep on turning, and you can read a detailed report on page 16.

Elsewhere in this issue, we assess the outlook for hangar design and construction as the aviation industry rebounds and opportunities emerge, and survey the MRO landscape of GE Aviation’s GEnx – one of the most important large-turbofan engine families in service today.

And as travel begins to return to normal, along with business meetings and events (varying by country, of course), I can tell you it was fantastic – and fascinating – to get
out of the office recently for a tour of 2Excel Engineering’s facilities in the south of England.

The company has an intriguing story to tell, which can be read in more detail on page 26, but at its heart involves going through two major business shifts in the past six years. The first was a complete cultural change after 2Excel Engineering was formed out of the ashes of ATC Lasham, which went into administration in 2015. The second has been a reconfiguration of the business to face a new reality following the Covid-19 crisis, putting it in a position to flourish next year, and beyond.

2Excel Engineering is a company that proves that, while it’s often lovely to fit in, sometimes you’ve just got to stand out from the crowd.