This week, the team were in Amsterdam for MRO Europe. These are our highlights of what you need to know from the show.

The show opened to the signing of a cooperative agreement between Safran Nacelles and Lufthansa Technik for MRO services on Airbus A320neo nacelles, powered by CFM International LEAP-1A engines. The companies say they will combine their expertise to develop repair services, resulting in increased accessibility and solutions that match market demand.

Airbus announced a contract with Delta Airlines to provide Skywise predictive maintenance services for about 400 of its A320 and A330 aircraft. The so-called open-data platform tracks and analyses operations and performance data and assesses the possibility of future failures. Since the programme’s introduction at the 2017 Paris Airshow, Airbus has signed contracts with 29 Skywise customers covering more than 3,000 aircraft.

Boeing Global Services featured a number of digital product enhancements and introduced its new Pilot Insight app that enables fuel monitoring for commercial pilots. We spoke to Mike Fleming, VP Commercial Services about how it stays ahead of its competitors, and the introduction of its RouteSync app, which is currently being used by airline KLM.

Embraer signed a flight-hour pool programme agreement with Bahamas-based Western Air to provide repairable component support for the carrier’s fleet of ERJ-145 aircraft. Western Air recently purchased three ERJ-145s from Embraer, becoming the first operator of the aircraft in the country. The operator says it has plans to purchase additional aircraft by the end of the fourth quarter of 2018.

As the event closed, Monarch Aircraft Engineering announced it has agreed the terms of its new ownership structure, with Greybull Capital becoming the majority shareholder. Chris Dare, CEO of Monarch Aircraft Engineering, said that it marks an exciting new chapter for the company and it plans to move forward with ambitious plans for growth, building on its solid foundations.

On the floor

We spoke with a range of experts across the show floor too, including Frederic Dupont, Etihad Engineering, who told us how his company has extended its reach way beyond the United Arab Emirates, and is supporting Abu Dhabi’s vision for the future.

Oliver Wyman’s David Stewart gave us the state of the MRO market and his forecasts for the next decade. Dr Christian Suttner of Starburst told us more about start-ups within the MRO sector, specifically about a radical new way of detecting dents in aircraft using an innovative 3D scanner.

Finally, we saw a glimpse into the future with Lilium Head of Product Design, Frank Stephenson, famous for designing the BMW Mini, BMW X5, McClaren P1 and Fiat 500, among others. He showcased the advancements the company is making in vertical take-off and landing travel with its Lilium Jet project.

Watch the video for the full lowdown and look for the individual interviews coming soon on FINN.

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