Dan Allawat, chief strategy officer at FEAM Aero explains the company’s strategic vision, particularly its endeavours at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and how they align with the shifting trends and needs of the industry.

As chief strategy officer of FEAM Aero, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing our company’s evolution over the past 25 years.

Early on, founder, chief executive and sole owner of FEAM Aero Fred Murphy laid the foundation by establishing a forwardthinking, adaptable, and customer-facing ethos that would personify the company in the years that followed.

Today, our president, Cam Murphy, continues to guide our growth by adhering to those early cornerstones of our success.

Rapid growth

At FEAM Aero, we’ve always embraced challenges as opportunities for growth. The Covid-19 pandemic was no exception. While it presented unprecedented challenges, it also catalysed a surge in e-commerce, driving increased demand for air cargo.

Leveraging our agility and expertise, we seized this opportunity for expansion, solidifying our position as the leading provider of aircraft line maintenance services in the US.

With over 1,500 employees across 52 locations globally, we stand as a testament to resilience and innovation in the face of adversity.

In recent years, our company has experienced exponential growth. We’ve expanded our service offering and capabilities, we’ve added multiple new airport locations, both domestic and internationally, we’ve added new customers and we’ve increased our workforce significantly.

Every decision associated with this growth has been meticulously calculated to ensure not only our success but also the success of our employees and customers alike.

Adaptability and tailored solutions

Our company recognises the unique demands of each of our customers. That’s why we take pride in our ability to craft maintenance solutions tailored to their precise needs. Whether it involves developing new service offerings or providing ad-hoc maintenance solutions, we are committed to delivering unparalleled service.

When a customer presents a specific maintenance challenge outside our current scope, we mobilise internally to devise a plan to meet their requirements.

Moreover, when urgent support is needed, we stand ready to ensure the uninterrupted reliability of our customers’ fleets.

Our commitment to excellence extends beyond providing standard line maintenance services. We offer comprehensive capabilities from routine letter checks to complex engine changes, APU changes, structures repairs, fuel tank maintenance, composite repair and landing gear replacements, ensuring that every aspect of our customer’s needs are met.

Technical centre at CVG

Our journey at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) started in 2015 with just a handful of airframe and powerplant (A&P) technicians. Soon after, we began to witness the rapid growth and expansion of the cargo sector there.

With the growing e-commerce and light package market, we recognised the increasing demand for aircraft maintenance services.

To meet these evolving needs, we embarked on a pivotal endeavour – the construction of a new hangar facility.

In 2020, our vision materialised with the inauguration of a 103,000 sq ft widebody, two-bay hangar, employing over 300 A&P technicians. This milestone strengthened our partnerships with our growing clients and broadened our service offerings.

From A-checks to scheduled maintenance, engine changes and structural repairs, our expanded capabilities enabled us to provide comprehensive support. This hangar has become a hub for major repair events, revolutionising our approach to complex maintenance tasks.

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Recognising the increasing demand for higher-level technical requests, we created a Major Repair and Recovery (MRR) division and subsequently invested over $2 million in tooling, equipment and training to support this added capability.

Customers with agreements for line maintenance can seamlessly transition to receiving MRR support, benefiting from our expanded service offerings.

As demand continued to surge and our existing bays reached full capacity, we recognised the need to further expand our infrastructure and manpower. In November of 2022, we embarked on a groundbreaking $45 million investment – a state-of-the-art, 150,000 sq ft three-bay widebody hangar, creating an additional 200 A&P technician jobs.

This monumental undertaking underscores our unwavering commitment to meeting the dynamic needs of the cargo industry at CVG.

As we prepare to unveil Hangar 2.0, we are poised to foster a higher degree of expertise, primed to deliver exceptional service and support to our continuing expanding customer base.

We have successfully secured several customers to occupy Hangar 2.0, ensuring continuous services within two of the hangar bays. Presently, we are actively engaged in commercial discussions to occupy the third remaining bay.

Workforce challenges

In all our growth, we have been keenly aware of the industry’s challenge regarding the shortage of skilled aircraft maintenance technicians (AMTs).

Recognising this critical issue, we’ve forged a partnership with Epic Flight Academy to establish a brand-new A&P school on CVG Airport premises, effectively expanding our FEAM Aero Technical Centre.

This initiative not only tackles the shortage of AMTs in the region but also offers aspiring professionals invaluable hands-on experience.

Our objective is to provide individuals with real-world exposure, enabling them to work on various aircraft within our hangars under the guidance of seasoned, licensed technicians, while pursuing their education.

By immersing them in practical experiences and facilitating employment during their schooling, we’re not only nurturing talent but also shaping the future of the aviation maintenance industry.

Additionally, we’re investing in the future workforce by offering scholarships and tuition reimbursement opportunities, ensuring that financial constraints do not hinder the pursuit of education and career advancement.

Future focus

With Hangar 2.0 nearing completion and our partnership with Epic Flight Academy in full swing, we are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead.

Our commitment to providing topnotch MRO services remains unwavering, and we are confident that with our dedicated team and the support of our partners, we will continue to lead the way in aircraft maintenance excellence.

For more information on FEAM Aero, visit: feam.aero

This feature was first published in MRO Management – March 2024. To read the magazine in full, click here.