Welcome to the October/November 2021 issue of MRO Management.

If any good can be said to have come out of the Covid-19 crisis, then perhaps the most positive example has been the spirit of togetherness that has so often been in evidence in communities, companies or countries.

Togetherness is the theme of our cover story in this issue, which explores the ever-evolving relationship between OEM and MRO companies. For many of them, the Covid-19 crisis has made clear the need for working together in strategic partnerships or networks, and collaboration and communication has been enhanced in response to these difficult times.

“The Covid-19 crisis has emphasised the need for all stakeholders within such networks to work closely together as we jointly determine how best to navigate the post-Covid aviation landscape,” SIA Engineering Company told us. “We believe that this will only help to strengthen the relationships making up the aftermarket networks.”

In the reality of the wider world though, any spirit of togetherness is often very easily threatened, and we are seeing this in over-reaching and divisive government policies around the world right now, as well as in sensationalist media coverage which can cause further fractures.

In any competitive industry too, tensions bubble just beneath the surface when companies can be partners one day and competitors the next, and with the Covid crisis also having a negative impact on OEMs and MROs in terms of business and revenue, this too could be driving a change in the OEM-MRO dynamic. Might, as Alton Aviation Consultancy predicted at the turn of the year, OEMs begin to exit many of their airframe and component MRO investments as they see the importance of MROs as valuable suppliers? Will they reassess their business models “with a back-to-basics theme focused on their core competencies”?

The Covid-19 crisis is also accelerating existing business trends in many spheres of industry. This has certainly been the case for MRO software, and providers are developing new features and functionalities to meet demand from maintenance companies for greater efficiencies, as we discover in another feature in this issue.

We also have articles on landing gear and APU maintenance as well as our array of regular columns, including a packed ‘Industry voices’ section featuring the thoughts of newly-appointed Joramco CEO Fraser Currie, among others, and a fascinating interview with AJW Technique CEO Sajedah Rustom in ‘Top table’, in which she discusses the company’s ambitious expansion plans.

Click here to read the digital issue.