Like Fokker Services, Samco sees a “reasonable chunk of work” from lessors as aircraft change hands. “We've got about 15 aircraft parked at the moment at our place [in Maastricht] for different lessors and owners and banks, and we do nose-to-tail support for operators and lessors when aircraft change hands,” Van Schaik says.
But work for Bombardier is increasing for Samco, as it is the Netherlands' endorsed MRO for commercial Dash 8 aircraft. “We do lots of Dash 8 work,” says Van Schaik. “It's a fair source [of business], not only for the Maastricht facility but also on-site at operators' locations throughout Europe and Africa, which gives a lot of spinoff.” Samco recently extended its capabilities to the CRJ1000, so that it now covers the whole CRJ series as well.
Netherlands-based Avio-Diepen, a partner on Boeing's Integrated Materials Management initiative, looks to supply-chain management services to add value for customers. Its ADvalue program “enables customers to concentrate on their core activities, such as component repair,” says Marketing Intelligence Officer Ben Nieuwland.
Nayak Aircraft Service in Amsterdam traditionally has been a line maintenance company, but it is extending into fleet management and IT solutions. Lufthansa, for example, flies to Amsterdam for aircraft overnights; Nayak has 60 airlines under such line maintenance contracts. But new growth, says Morcus, is coming via fleet-management arrangements, such as the one Nayak has with KLM.
Nayak also is launching a software package called Qlikview at Aviation Week's MRO Europe conference this week in Amsterdam. Used internally to link Amos maintenance management software with Netline and financial software systems, the company now is offering it to customers. “It's a shift of our company,” Morcus says, adding that such services will become more important in coming years with new-technology aircraft, such as the Boeing 787.
Nayak is developing capabilities for the 787, as it expects to be the second MRO in Europe (behind Monarch Aircraft Engineering) to receive Part 145 authorization to maintain the aircraft: Japan Airlines plans to operate a Boeing 787 at Helsinki in January; Nayak staff there will be qualified up to C-check level. The MRO also is preparing for 787 services at Amsterdam Schiphol and will be opening 787-capable stations in Stockholm and in Oslo.
Boeing 787 training also should be an incentive, Morcus says. “A trend I expect [is] that Nayak will be sending people from the Netherlands with 787 training as background to help engineers starting up airlines all over the world.”
In addition to JAL, TUI Group Dutch subsidiary ArkeFly is preparing for the arrival of its Boeing 787-8s, as well. Its wholly owned subsidiary Tec4Jets in Amsterdam will handle 787 line maintenance, says Simone van den Berk, communications manager. Tec4Jets also handles line maintenance for ArkeFly's five Boeing 737-800s and five Boeing 767-300s.
Like Nayak, Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance is readying for the 787. It has recently been added to the Schiphol base's component portfolio, says Paul Vonk, marketing manager. “Prior to the introduction of the 787 within our parent airline, we have a launch customer contracted and are in full swing ramping up our capabilities and building stocks and inventories,” he says.
Despite these expansions and although the Dutch aerospace industry has been growing at 5% per year, according to NAG, “it is a harsh environment for everybody,” says Ted van Zundert, sales and marketing director for Dutch aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance company Denim Air. But he points to Bombardier's recently opened MRO center at Schiphol as a positive indicator.