A group of significant players in the aviation industry are cooperating to form a new alliance in the field of aircraft modification.
As leading companies in the retrofit industry, Etihad Airways Engineering, EAD Aerospace, Lufthansa Technik and Envoy Aerospace have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to form the Independent Aircraft Modifier Alliance (IAMA).
IAMA aims to encourage aircraft owners and operators to modify and modernise their fleets through high quality equipment and rigorous inspections, irrespective of which IAMA members provide the engineering services.
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Aircraft modifications, such as the installation of new cabins, connectivity solutions or avionics systems can be approved and documented through a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) offered by providers such as the IAMA members.
The alliance addresses customer concerns with regard to documentation, data availability and a worldwide customer support network across different regulatory systems with various national authorities.
Bernhard Randerath, Vice President Design, Engineering and Innovation of Etihad Airways Engineering said: “This alliance is a positive step towards addressing the challenges that customers face with STC solutions today.
“As the Middle East’s largest MRO, we use OEM solutions, however, Etihad is renowned for innovation and applying our own STC modifications.
“We believe that OEMs will also benefit from becoming members of IAMA, which is open to all modification providers.
“Our customers need seamless solutions and efficient support during implementation and most importantly in service afterwards.
“STCs are a fast, cost efficient way to provide modifications, and IAMA is a promising approach to address the critical points of documentation simplicity and continued after-sales support.”
The launch meeting of the IAMA is scheduled for spring 2019.