#MROE Wrap Up, Opportunities

Several airline executive here this week mentioned how important it is for OEMs and MRO service providers to really listen to their needs. It sounds intuitive, but if you want to gain business, really think about how you are serving your customers.

For instance, Cemil Sayer, technical director for SunExpress, would like to see MROs write more customized proposals--based on what the Turkey-based carrier needs and not on what's included in a company's standardized RFP documents.

Jose Luis Ruiz de Castaneda, Iberia Airlines' senior VP maintenance and engineering, emphasized that price, turnaround time and quality are givens, so service providers really need to differentiate themselves through things like good technical documentation and proximity

Martyn Haines, general manager continuing airworthiness for Virgin Atlantic Airways, would like vendors to understand the airline's lease cycle and correspond services to that. 

To prove good listening skills are key, I asked one MRO senior executive during the show how his company won a bundled service package. "We listened." He said the airline sent a request for proposal, but after talking to that carrier, the MRO realized it really had three issues it was trying to solve--not just one. The MRO proposed a bundled support package and won the contract.

I hope you enjoyed Aviation Week's MRO Europe here in Madrid. Thank you for attending the event and making it such a dynamic conference and exhibition--and thank you to all of the sponsors and exhibiting companies for supporting the event.

Tags: MROE, om99