Event Archive

Welcome and Opening Remarks

• Ed Hazelwood, Editor-In-Chief, Aviation Week Conferences

Opening Keynote Address

• Christoph Mueller, CEO, Aer Lingus

MRO’s Perspectives on Challenges with Leased Aircraft & Engines
We ask leading MROs to identify and discuss the challenges posed when maintaining leased aircraft and engines.  In some cases, the MROs may even be are part of the same group leasing the aircraft or engine.  Does this improve the communications and reduce the challenges?  Also, whether there is a full support contract or a one-off agreement in place, what particular additional challenges do leased assets pose?  We ask the panel to share their experiences.

• Introduction: Mary Mannion, Editorial director, Aviation Week
• Harry Seeger, Director, Key Account Lessors & Banks, Lufthansa Technik

Panel Discussion - Engine Lease Return
Are some shop visits premature?
It is estimated that 20-30% of MRO work carried out at lease return could be avoided if a different concept could be applied between Lessors and Lessees on how to manage certain aspects. Taking the case of a boroscope inspection, if an engine has been performing well and its next overhaul is not due, then why put it through this unnecessary shop visit? In some cases, engines have been rejected for very little damage costing operators and lessors a lot of money. This is only one example that the panel will brainstorm with the audience to see if there is a better way to manage the process and ultimately, the engine economics.

• Moderator: Paul Morgan, Commercial Director, Lufthansa Technik Airmotive Ireland

• Aidan Reynolds, Executive Vice President, Technical, Macquarie Aviation Capital
• Steve Williams, Director Aircraft Engine Services, AJW Aviation

• Ulrico Zubler, VP Sales Engines, SR Technics

• Moderator: Les Lacey, CEO, Seapark Aviation
• Ran Ackerman, Head of Aircraft Acquisitions & Sales, Maintenance & Engineering, El Al Israel Airlines
• Jan Willem Storm van's Gravesande, General Legal Counsel, KLM Engineering & Maintenance

Get Your Documents in a Row
There are several challenges in relation to documentation.
One of the biggest challenges when moving from one lessee to another is the accuracy and traceability of technical documents. How can this process be improved?
Also, how can the lessors need for more information on aircraft status and configuration, during the lease, be addressed? Is there a way operators can be a little more open without having to share full information on how they operating and maintaining the aircraft? These and other paperwork issues will be raised in this session.

• Moderator: Patrick O’ Mahony, Sales Director - Europe, Aveos
• Julian Rees, Lease Manager, TES Aviation Group
• Tom Slattery, SVP Powerplant, GECAS
• Gilles van Hovell Tot Westervlier, Program Director E&M, KLM Engineering & Maintenance

The Aircraft Return Process
In the morning, we had a panel discussion specifically focusing on Engine Shop Visits at the end of lease. In this session, we ask the panel to discuss the Aircraft Lease Return Process from the period just before the aircraft is due to come off lease right up until the return receipt has been signed by the lessor. What maintenance processes can be handled more efficiently to ensure that there can be a smooth transition from operator back to lessor avoiding costly and, sometimes, unnecessary expense for several parties. The panel may not have the answers but we expect some lively debate as the experts offer their opinions!

• Moderator: Nick Pittler, Vice President Technical , ILFC
• Paul Brady, Fleet Planning and Network Economics Director, Aer Lingus
• Conor McCarthy, Executive Chairman, Dublin Aerospace
• Patrick Long, Senior Aircraft Contracts Engineer, Cathay Pacific Engineering

Welcome and Opening Remarks

• Ed Hazelwood, Editor-In-Chief, Aviation Week Conferences

Day Two Opening Keynote

The impact of Maintenance Reserves on airline finance and the effect of lease conditions on airline maintenance costs

• Tiymor Kalimat, Manager Aircraft Leasing, Royal Jordanian Airlines and Chairman of the IATA Maintenance Cost Task Force (MCTF)

Transferring of Aircraft between Jurisdictions
When transferring aircraft across borders and from one continent to another, what are the challenges & maintenance considerations involved for both lessors and lessees? If you are an MRO provider how can you support your customers in this regard?  How can all partners in the aviation community work together to harmonize across borders and eliminate the differences in the transfer processes?

• Adrian Foley, Sales & Marketing Director, Air Atlanta Aero Engineering

• Jaime Marquez, Assistant VP, Aircraft Engineering Services, ILFC

• Liam Sisk, Head of Engineering Services, Parc Aviation

Strategies & Solutions Exchange
Proactive Maintenance Planning to Meet Lease Conditions
The Strategies & Solutions exchange elevates the interactivity of the Forum to a new level. Following on from the thought-provoking earlier sessions, delegates will work in groups to explore how engineering can be more engaged and the maintenance process be optimized, from the time of negotiation right through to aircraft/engine return. Through the sharing of personal experiences and lessons learned, the workgroups will work to identify solutions. The workgroups will then share their findings with the entire group, allowing for further input and discussion.

• Group Leaders:
• Eoghan O'Driscoll, VP Technical, ILFC
• Julian Rees, Lease Manager, TES Aviation Group
• Björn Vandekerckhove, Program Director - Engines, CT Aerospace