Current and

emerging trends in
the aerospace sector
How shifting priorities and developing technologies
are shaping the industry today and into the future

Author
Matthew Price
Client Manager

July 2018
About us
SNC-Lavalin’s Atkins business is one of the world’s
most respected design, engineering and project
management consultancies. Together, SNC-Lavalin, a
global fully integrated professional services and project
management company, and Atkins help our clients
plan, design and enable major capital projects, and
provide expert consultancy that covers the full
lifecycle of projects.

With a strong, proven heritage in aerospace design and

consultancy services, we have worked on some of the
industry’s biggest projects. Including: Airbus’ A380,
A400M and Single Aisle aircraft, and with Marshall
Aerospace and Defence Group, Bombardier, BAE
Systems, Rolls-Royce and the Royal Air Force.
Introduction
As major aircraft manufacturers and tier one
suppliers get into full execution mode to meet
record demand, Matthew Price assesses a number
of exciting developments on the horizon that the
aviation industry is set to embrace as demand
grows and trends shift.

There’s undoubtedly continuing, strong growth

for commercial air transport – most notably
from developing markets. There’s also a need
to further drive fuel-efficiency and, companies
are using big data to help them understand and
predict when components require attention.
These, and more, factors have all resulted
in the aerospace industry using increasingly
advanced methods to build, repair and maintain
commercial and military fleets.
But that just brings us up to the present day.
What about the future?
There’s little doubt that evolving technologies,
electric propulsion, and smart new materials
will bring on further opportunities, change,
and challenges. So, it’s important that we
understand the scale of these challenges to
manage existing fleets efficiently, but also –
given the volume of aircraft yet to be delivered,
and future demand – so we can make the most
of the opportunities that are without doubt
coming our way.
‘Passenger numbers
to double by 2036’
The International Air Transport Association
(IATA) forecasts that global passenger numbers
will almost double in the period to 2036, rising
to 7.8 billion annually. To match that demand,
the aviation industry is continuing to raise output
to historic levels. In July 2018 Airbus announced
that nearly 37,400 new aircraft – valued $5.8
trillion – are required over 20 years, doubling
the world’s passenger fleet to more than
48,000 aircraft.
Narrowbody craft, also known as ‘single-aisle
aircraft ’ account for the vast bulk of those:
the A320 and 737 families – including Neo and
Max variants with new engines – accounted
for a total of 9,730 aircraft, or around 75% of
the Q1 figure. On top of that, output of their
new flagship widebody programmes is also
increasing, although this will partly compensate
for falling rates of older aircraft types.

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Current and emerging trends in the aerospace sector
Driven by that dynamic, the two big aircraft
manufacturers – Airbus and Boeing – are both
looking at taking narrowbody production to
unprecedented levels and challenging the
supply chain to meet the demand. This is a
significant issue, bearing in mind engine and
interior manufacturing have both proved to be
recent production bottlenecks – then we could
see a monthly output of a combined 130 aircraft
from 2020 onwards.
The supply
chain’s challenge
It’s not just the big two who face this supply
chain challenge, both Canada’s Bombardier and
Brazilian manufacturer Embraer have begun
deliveries of their respective CSeries and E-Jet
E2 aircraft, which are both powered by variants
of the Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan engines.
Also, new types from Irkut (MC-21), Comac
(C919) and Mitsubishi Aircraft (MRJ) are all in
flight test, with service entries scheduled for the
next five years.
As a result, the supply chain has made
significant investment to meet the proposed
output hikes, with narrow-body engine
manufacturers CFM International, which is
a joint venture between US firm GE Aviation
and Safran Aero Engines of France, and Pratt
4
& Whitney particularly exposed. In addition,
pricing pressure from the airframe equipment
manufacturers is driving a new wave of
consolidation in the supply chain.
Recently, Safran successfully acquired cabin
and seating specialist Zodiac Aerospace, and
United Technologies took on a $23 billion pursuit
of avionics and in-flight entertainment systems
provider Rockwell Collins – itself bolstered
by the 2017 acquisition of interiors firm B/E
Aerospace. In addition, Boeing has recently
announced several initiatives to enter the
supply chain, developing auxiliary power units,
actuators, seating and avionics, alone or with
partners. Aside from vertical integration, these
moves are driven by the firms’ desires to capture
more of the maintenance and services market.
Looking to the
next generation
Aircraft development also continues, albeit at
a slower pace. With the exception of the Boeing
777X, and potentially their as-yet unlaunched
mid-market airplane , there is no other ‘clean-
sheet’ aircraft currently in development by the
big two, although a Sino-Russian collaboration
to produce a next-generation widebody is
in the pipeline.
www.atkinsglobal.com/aerospace

What is also certain, is that engine
manufacturers are all investing in research and
technology for the next generation of aircraft,
and in the mid-term all of them appear to be
banking on the current turbofan architecture
to improve fuel-efficiency. But any fuel-
burn savings from propulsion systems will
undoubtedly be driven by the employment of
increasingly exotic materials – ceramic matrix
composites, for example – to allow better
thermal efficiency in the hot section of the
engine, or the use of a gearing system – as seen
on Pratt & Whitney PW1000-series engines – to
separate the fan and turbomachinery, allowing
each to operate at its optimum speed.
On that note, Rolls-Royce is working on its
geared UltraFan programme, coupled with
development of a more efficient core as part
of its advance research. Assuming there is no
dramatic change of course over the coming
years, thee most recent forecasts from
Airbus, Boeing and independent consultancy
FlightGlobal Ascend predict deliveries of around
35,000 to 39,000 passenger and freighter
aircraft over the next 20 years. Although
forecasts have some variance, they are broadly
in agreement in terms of overall numbers.
Defence implications
If commercial aerospace is in execution mode,
the same can be said of the defence industry.
The most significant current programme on the
global stage is the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint
Strike Fighter, which is ramping-up to deliver
orders from its nine partner nations and three
overseas customers.
In Europe, meanwhile, Airbus Defence & Space
is working to deliver the A400M military
transporter to its clients. And further out, there
will be the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider
bomber for the US Air Force, while France and
Germany have indicated a willingness to
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Current and emerging trends in the aerospace sector
co-operate on a future combat air system,
adding to other next-generation development
efforts from Japan, South Korea and Turkey,
for example.
Maintenance, repair
and operational issues
What sets the new generation of aircraft apart
from its predecessors are innovations in both
materials and systems – innovations that
pose both opportunities and challenges for
the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO)
sector, too. While most of the current crop of
narrowbodies feature conventional aluminium
wings and fuselages, the newest widebodies, the
Airbus A350 and the Boeing 787, both feature
majority composite constructions.
Although previous-generation aircraft have
successfully utilised composite material
– around 17% of the 777 is carbon fibre,
for example – this proportion is set only to
increase. While the properties of metallic and
composite structures are well understood, and
many airlines and MROs will have expertise
in the repair techniques required for both, it
is the increasing prevalence and scale of use
of composite that poses the challenge for
maintenance and repair.
Metallic structures tend to bend under the
force of an impact – in collision with a ground
handling vehicle, for example – but that’s not
the case with composite material. While a
simple visual check would reveal a dent on an
aluminium fuselage, the sub-surface damage
on a composite airframe can only be detected
through ultrasonic scanning. And this requires
specialist equipment. Repairs require investment
not just in equipment, but also in people,
training, skills and process improvements
to be performed properly.
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Current and emerging trends in the aerospace sector

Changing spaces Increasing digitisation

A further opportunity for the maintenance
sector, capitalising on a headache for airlines, is
in supporting the need for airlines to regularly
refit a variety of updated commercial aircraft
interiors. Changing passenger demands – driven
by the fast pace of development in consumer
technology and a new generation of digitally-
savvy airline customers – has resulted in airlines
operating fleets with increasingly different
cabin layouts. Emirates, for example, has three
different configurations on its fleet of Airbus
A380s, while Singapore Airlines is currently
performing a large-scale retrofit programme
on 14 of its super-jumbos, to bring them up-to-
speed with customer demands.
The increasing digitisation of the maintenance
sector will be another factor demanding
different skills to previous generations’ skills.
As Boeing notes in its 2017 technician forecast:
“As airlines continue to take delivery of new
airplanes, advances in airplane technology will
drive an increased need for technicians
skilled in avionics, composites,
and digital troubleshooting.”

Based on the predicted growth of the global

commercial fleet, Airbus estimates that over
the next 20 years, the maintenance, repair and
operations sector will be worth $120 billion
annually, by 2036. The knock-on effect of this
means the aviation industry will require an
additional 548,000 technicians over that time
if it’s to meet that forecasted demand. Boeing
predicts an even more pronounced requirement,
believing that the sector will need an additional
648,000 technicians by 2037.

“Airbus estimates that over the
next 20 years, the maintenance,
repair and operations sector will
be worth $120 billion annually.
The knock-on effect means the
aviation industry will need an
extra 548,000 technicians –
and Boeing predicts more
than 640,000.”
Clearly digitisation will have to play a significant
part in helping to address this challenge, for
example, technicians using virtual reality will
be able to better visualise how components
fit together – enabling them to ‘step inside’
an assembly or view it from multiple angles.
And, of course, there are simple cost and time
saving improvements, such as paper manuals
becoming a thing of the past, and repair staff
being able instantly to call-up relevant data
on a handheld device.

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Drones as
maintenance tools
Unmanned air vehicles – better known as drones
– allied to improved imaging technology, are
also finding a home in the maintenance sector.
UK low-cost carrier EasyJet, among others, has
trialled them to detect surface damage, such
as from lightning strikes, on its fleet. Results
showed that using drones reduced the time
taken to inspect each aircraft, and freed-up
technicians for other tasks. As such, in 2018
EasyJet began rolling out the system across its
network. The company has also been testing
3D-scanning technology and hopes to be able to
add this capability to its drone fleet.
As a further sign of change in the sector, and a
willingness to embrace disruptive technologies
and digitisation, German maintenance giant
Lufthansa Technik announced in April 2018
that its Malta facility was testing a number of
technological innovations including mobile 3D
scanners and drone inspections.
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Current and emerging trends in the aerospace sector
Maintenance
version 2.0
There are many other very positive
developments in this area. Since 2016, Airbus
has been developing the next generation of
maintenance technology under its Hangar of the
Future initiative, located in Singapore. Developed
from the outset as a response to lower-cost
maintenance providers, this project aims to
increase operational efficiency through the
application of lean methodology, plus state-of-
the-art technologies – with the latter embracing
automated non-destructive scanning, the
introduction of augmented and virtual reality,
and the use of big data to drive
predictive maintenance.
Predictive maintenance is a key advance here.
By capturing data and performing complex data
analytics, it will enable the aviation industry to
manage demand. As aircraft systems become
more sophisticated, and satellite datalink
coverage becomes more robust, aircraft are
becoming able to communicate 400,000
separate touchpoints, or parameters, in real
time. That data is invaluable – because time
and cost are of the essence. It’s being captured
faster than ever before, and the next step is to
successfully generate value from it.
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Current and emerging trends in the aerospace sector
If correctly analysed and harnessed, such data
will allow airlines and maintenance companies
to identify precisely what needs to be repaired
and replaced, and pinpoint the optimal time for
intervention, too.
Risk and reward of
increased connectivity
As with most advances, there is risk and reward.
And this is where increased connectivity also
poses questions of data security: as increased
connectivity enables faster and more efficient
delivery of goods and services, is also putting
the nation’s vital infrastructure at risk of cyber-
attack. Similarly, a new generation of systems is
based on openness and interoperability providing
agility and business value. However, in turn, this
exposes organisations and society to a host of
cyber security risks, from a number of sources
such as terrorism, potentially hostile nation
states in a global shift of the balance of power,
and domestic sources .
Expertise is needed to get the balance right, and
specialisms such as cyber resilience knowledge
is already helping organisations understand
the threats they face, implement proportionate
protection, and when necessary, recover quickly
from a security breach. All of which keeps
mission critical operations running smoothly,
safely, and securely.
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New players
in the field
None of this technological change comes
cheaply, of course. Established maintenance
providers need to invest in order to differentiate
themselves from new entrants to the market,
particularly those in lower-cost locations. Also,
a further strand of competition is emerging as
the original equipment manufacturers attempt
to capture an increasingly large share of the
services and support sector. While original
equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have always
been present in this sector, for instance in
relation to engines or landing gears, airframe
manufacturers are also now seeking to provide
end-to-end maintenance solutions for
their customers.
Boeing, in particular, is growing its Global
Services division, with an ambitious target
of generating $50 billion in revenue by 2025.
And, both Airbus and Boeing are developing
interfaces that will permit the retrieval of
complete aircraft sensor data. From 2018,
Airbus will equip all its A320s with a secure
server router that collects aircraft maintenance
and performance data and automatically
transmits it to ground-based operations via 4G
on the ground, and satcom broadband in the air.
The new system captures 100% of the available
data, or 24,000 touchpoints, or
‘health parameters’.
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 Current and emerging trends in the aerospace sector

Big data, Recent research by satellite provider Inmarsat

and the London School of Economics estimates

bigger efficiencies that unscheduled maintenance events could

cost the industry a total of $40.9 billion annually
The big data revolution, and information derived by 2035. However, even a 5% reduction in
from it, will soon allow maintenance companies unplanned events could save up to $656 million
to amass the correct parts and technicians to per year for widebodies alone,
make any repairs as soon as an aircraft lands. the study suggests.
This certainly holds promise for increased safety
and enhanced operational efficiency, by cutting “A recent study by Inmarsat
aircraft-on-ground time, which is estimated to
and the London School of
cost the industry $62 billion annually.
Economics suggests that even
In addition, big data should allow maintenance
providers to plan their work schedules better, by a 5% reduction in unplanned
cutting down on the amount of unplanned shop maintenance events could save
visits and helping to optimise throughput at their
facilities. In trials last year, airline Cathay Pacific the industry up to $656 million
and technology provider Honeywell found that per year.”
the latter’s Go Direct Connected Maintenance
application – which combines the connectivity
of modern aircraft with data analytics – reduced
inoperative systems on an aircraft by 35%.
The two subsequently teamed up to roll the
innovation out across the carrier’s fleet of
A330 widebodies.

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Current and emerging trends in the aerospace sector
Fuelling change
Since 2014, when, according to IATA data, jet
fuel prices hit $140 per barrel, the cost of fuel
has tumbled, at one point dropping as low as
$30 per barrel. It’s logical perhaps to think that
the low-fuel price situation has resulted in older
aircraft being kept in service longer, as fuel
economy became a lesser consideration
for operators.
But, while there is some anecdotal evidence
to suggest that’s the case – British Airways
has consistently pushed back the removal
from service of its 747s, which are currently
scheduled for 2024; and half the fleet of 36
aircraft will be gone by 2021 – studies by lessor
Avolon suggest the retirement age of aircraft
between 2012 and 2015 remained broadly the
same, shifting from 25.7 to 25.9 years. It’s worth
pointing out, however, that the age of an aircraft
is less of a determinant of its retirement age,
than the degree of utilisation.
Nonetheless, as Boeing’s 2017 Services Market
Outlook notes, the introduction of new aircraft
into a fleet can frequently be a catalyst for
the operator to also upgrade the interior of
older models in its inventory. Airbus says that
of the 37,400 new aircraft required, 26,540
are for growth and 10,850 will replace older-
generation, less fuel-efficient aircraft – with
the company estimating that the market for
aircraft upgrades over the next 20 years will be
worth some $180 billion. In addition, research
conducted by the Hamburg University of Applied
Sciences in 2010 concluded that the upgrade
cycle for passenger aircraft is getting shorter,
resulting in a need for 38,000 upgrades projects
over the period to 2030.
10
That trend, the research says, is driven by a
variety of factors including the need for product
differentiation, such as improved premium
cabins, the introduction of new cabin classes
to improve yield, i.e. premium economy, for
example, or the desire to increase seat count.
In addition, the increased expectations of
consumers – notably around the provision of
connectivity – is also driving that trend. MRO
providers with sufficient interior completion
and upgrade capability should be able to take
advantage of this trend, although with certain
classes of aircraft, the original equipment
manufacturer may be difficult to dislodge.
Looking towards
electrification
While current propulsion technologies are still
wedded to the consumption of fossil fuels,
over coming years we will see the increasing
electrification of aircraft. And this poses another
set of challenges and opportunities for the
sector – which can be divided into two strands:
more-electric aircraft, for example, the 787
or A350 compared with previous-generation
wide-bodies, and electrically-powered aircraft.
Hydraulic and pneumatic systems – such as
those for actuation or air conditioning – are
already being replaced by electrical systems to
save weight and improve reliability.
Although we’ve seen incremental steps in this
field since the first Boeing 737 took-off in the
late 1960s, the biggest advance most recently
was the arrival of the Boeing 787 in 2011. This
was the first large passenger aircraft to use
electricity, rather than engine-bleed air, to
power the cabin air conditioning system. It also
featured electrically actuated brakes and an
electric de-icing system.
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 Current and emerging trends in the aerospace sector

Power
Turboshaft Power
Turboshaft electronics Motor(s)
ELECTRIC
electronics Motor(s)
HYBRID
MORE

Generator Electric
Generator Electric
Bus
Fuel Bus
Fuel Battery
Battery
Aircraft systems
Aircraft systems

Motor(s)
Motor(s)
Turboshaft Power
Turboshaft Power
electronics
HYBRID

electronics
FULL

Electric
Electric
Bus
Generator Bus
Generator
Fuel
Fuel Battery
Battery Aircraft systems
Aircraft systems

Battery Motor(s)
ELECTRIC

Battery Power Motor(s)

Power
electronics
electronics
ALL

Electric
Electric
Bus
Bus

Aircraft systems
Aircraft systems

So, with this increased demand for power, the
generation capacity of the aircraft has also
markedly needed to grow. Each 787 can produce
around 1,000kVA for its on-board systems,
according to Boeing’s figures, markedly more
than previous-generation models. On-board
power storage has also grown significantly. In
the military sphere, that step-change has been
matched, with the F-35 capable of generating
around 400kVA, and a further step-up required
in the future, as increasingly power-hungry
sensors and systems are added to the platform.
While greater use of electricity to power onboard
systems removes the weight and complexity of
traditional hydraulic and pneumatic systems,
another revolution in propulsion technology is
currently brewing: driven by both incumbents
and start-ups, a large number of programmes
with some form of electric propulsion at their
heart are currently in development. These vary
from small general aviation aircraft and urban
mobility designs all the way up to proposed
commercial airliners.
If an electrically-powered aircraft in the latter
category is to be realised, Airbus believes that
it would require 40MW of power for the take
off phase, dropping to 20MW during cruise.
As a step towards that eventual goal,

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Current and emerging trends in the aerospace sector

the manufacturer, along with partners Rolls-
Royce and Siemens, is developing its E-Fan X
hybrid-electric demonstrator, which should fly in
2020. It will replace one of the four engines on a
BAe 146 regional jet with a 2MW electric motor,
which will be powered by electricity generated
by a modified Rolls-Royce turboshaft engine
mounted in the aft fuselage.
Powering future flight
mass by around 20%; a huge challenge given the
mature state of aircraft design, where significant
investment is required for minimal gain.
However, it is an area of research and
development that is maturing quickly and could
accelerate further. Assuming the uptake of
electric propulsion is a case of when not if, then
everyone involved in supporting aircraft – be that
at airports or in a maintenance capacity – should
start preparing now.

For its part, Boeing is pursuing its interests in

the space via an investment in start-up Zunum Urban air mobility
Aero, which will initially develop an electrically-
Where electric power could find an early
powered 10-seater, with plans for two larger
application, however, is the advent of urban air
regional jets to follow. In addition, new market
mobility (UAM) services. While this new form
entrants such as Wright Electric – which has the
of transport is still very much in its infancy –
ambition of bringing to market an electrically-
Daimler-backed Volocopter and Chinese start-
powered 180-seat short-haul aircraft by 2027
up Ehang have already demonstrated their
– are also emerging.
aircraft in Dubai where the government plans to
Although there is considerable research and have a proof-of-concept up and flying within the
development activity in this area, making real next two years.
progress, there remain significant barriers to
Indeed, UAM represents one of the most obvious
overcome. These include technological hurdles
areas of Silicon Valley-driven disruption to the
such as battery performance, notably in terms
aerospace status quo. Barriers to entry – relative
of weight and energy storage density: research
to those required for a large commercial aircraft
from consultancy Roland Berger suggests
at least – are low and even a brief glance at the
that battery development will see an energy
Vertical Flight Society’s dedicated page for the
storage density of 400-450Wh/kg reached by
electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL)
the mid-2020s, with further battery chemistry
industry reveals dozens of programmes
development required to improve that level. Jet
in the works.
fuel, it notes, has an energy storage density of
around 12kWh/kg. The list includes names from the world of
technology, including Uber, as well Google,
The industry will also need improvements to the
founder Larry Page, electric ground vehicles
weight and efficiency of generators and motors
such as Workhorse, and more traditional rotary-
to achieve required performance levels in the
wing aircraft manufacturers such as Bell and
future for large commercial aircraft. Even if a
Airbus Helicopters. Although there is a marked
hybrid-electric system can be achieved as a first
difference between the various technological
step, the required generation and conversion
configurations being planned, all are consistent
equipment would almost certainly be heavier
in proposing designs which use Distributed
than the fossil fuel-based propulsion system.
Electric Power, with multiple rotary wing
Some estimates suggest that to compensate
configurations and cutting- edge
for this, we would need to reduce the airframe
battery technologies.

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12

Not all the projects will be successful, however.
But, the potential for substantial unit sales
presents a huge opportunity: eVTOL systems
cannot operate in isolation and will require a
network of landing zones, charging stations, and
extensive maintenance provision. Not to mention
the booking technology and changes to airspace
management that will be needed to ensure
successful introduction and growth of drones;
and most participants in the fledgling sector
are agreed that drone operations need to exist
as part of a larger ecosystem in order for the
segment to flourish.
?
Implications of
the UK leaving
the European Union
One issue that’s keenly felt by the aerospace
industry is the looming spectre of the UK’s
pending departure from the European Union,
and the uncertainty surrounding this significant
decision. For UK-located suppliers, and the
EU-based companies dependent on them, April
2019 is still a step into the unknown. Although
the UK government has expressed a desire
to retain some form of membership of the
European Aviation Safety Agency, there is, as
yet, no clarity as to what this will look like or the
potential regulatory impact. Similarly, no detail
is yet available on the future trading relationship
with the bloc, nor the customs arrangements
likely to be required.
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Current and emerging trends in the aerospace sector
Industry giant Airbus, which has a significant
presence in the UK in Filton, Bristol and
Broughton, North Wales, has recently issued
warnings about the implications of a so-called
‘no-deal Brexit’ – asserting that increased red
tape and delays to parts within its production
system could have a significant negative impact
on the delivery of finished aircraft. Even with a
trade deal in place, it says, there will still be an
increased cost associated with its UK operation.
That analysis follows previous comments
from UK trade body ADS, which, in its evidence
to the House of Commons Business, Energy
and Industrial Strategy select committee’s
investigation on the effects of the UK leaving
the European Union, said that the imposition of
additional customs’ checks and bureaucracy
could cost the sector an additional $1.5
billion annually. This would pose a “significant
cost-burden” and hamper its “long-term
competitiveness”. Similarly, the industry has
been unanimous in its calls for an end to
uncertainty, which would allow it to at least
begin to plan with greater clarity for a post-
Brexit future.
Additive
Manufacturing
reaches new areas
Although not a new process, additive
manufacturing (AM) – sometimes known as
3D printing – is another area which promises
to drive significant change into the aviation
industry. 3D printing offers significant
advantages over traditional subtractive
manufacturing: it can help to produce more
complex, potentially lighter, shapes; it can
deliver prototype parts or tooling in a matter of
hours to be quickly adapted, and it means supply
chains can be slimmed down, and less waste
material produced.
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Current and emerging trends in the aerospace sector
Although, so far, the use of ALM-produced
components has generally been restricted to
non-structural components such as brackets
and fairings, and non-rotating parts in engines
such as fuel nozzles and vanes, the uptake of
3D printed parts will be rapid: by 2020 engine
manufacturer GE Aviation estimates it will be
producing 100,000 individual components
via 3D printing.
“By 2020 engine manufacturer GE
Aviation estimates it will be producing
100,000 individual components via
3D printing.”
MRO organisations will also benefit from the
additive manufacturing revolution. Rather than
maintaining costly inventories of spare parts,
maintenance providers will, in theory, be able to
3D print components as required. And, as older
aircraft types become rarer, there will no longer
be a need to maintain legacy tooling in case
new parts are required. However, there remain
14
issues of capital costs to set up such a capability
and the time taken to print parts. The change
in process also promises to allow an effective
deconsolidation of inventory: parts will no longer
have to be held in a central warehouse, but
could be produced at, or much closer to, the
repair centre.
Production of interior components is clearly an
area where ALM techniques will grow. A cabin
update can create gaps between new and old
components. Previously plastic spacer panels
would be produced via injection moulding – a
relatively complex and costly process for the
small number required. However, thanks to
3D printing, Airbus has enabled small-batch
manufacturing that is quicker and produces
components that are around 15% lighter than
earlier versions. Similarly, manufacturer ATR is
using 3D printing to produce low quantities of
cabin parts for out-of-production variants of its
turboprop airliner family.
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Conclusions
The immediate challenge for the aerospace
industry is to deliver on the record backlogs
that have now accumulated. That will require
the supply chain – from the tier ones down – to
overcome short-term production challenges in
order to meet ambitious timescales. The huge
numbers of aircraft coming onto the market
now, and the growth of air transport globally,
will also require a significant expansion of the
sector’s maintenance capacity and capabilities
– crucially including the recruitment and training
of a large number of new technicians over the
next 20 years.
New technologies will bring change, challenge
and opportunity, too. This will comprise
harnessing the benefits of connectivity and big
data to drive predictive maintenance, changes
to technology embedded onto aircraft, the
coming revolution in full-electric or hybrid-
electric power and other disruptors like additive
manufacturing and the influence of Silicon
Valley-style entrepreneurs bringing a new
dynamic attitude to the industry through the
possibilities of urban air mobility vehicles.
Current and emerging trends in the aerospace sector
All of these new developments will require an
ecosystem of specialist supply and support
networks and services, state-of-the art
equipment and skills, advanced training and
specialist knowledge for repair and overhaul.
So, there’s little doubt that huge opportunities
lie ahead, as technological developments
ramp-up to help the aviation industry meet
vast, and still growing, demand.
Forward-looking companies seizing to explore
new areas of activity and revenue streams will,
indisputably, need professional guidance and
support to realign their strategies, and put their
resources in the right place.
Atkins is in a strong position to help,
backed by traditional aviation engineering
knowledge, with an eye to what’s on the
horizon in terms of technological change,
and forecasting upcoming trends. Our own
integration capability, a strong understanding
of the aviation and MRO industry, and
support from business consulting and
change management experts, also place
us high-up on the go-to list of ambitious
companies as developments continue
to unfold.
15
About the author
Matthew Price
Client Manager

Matthew Price has 20 years’ experience within the

aerospace industry working for OEMs, Tier1 suppliers
and global engineering consultancies throughout
Europe, USA and Australia. With a background in
aircraft structural design, programme delivery and
client management Matthew is responsible for the
aerospace aftermarket sector and the aerospace
digital transformation initiatives for the European
civil and military aerospace division. 

Transforming aerospace engineering,

for faster design, reduced downtime
and lower costs.
www.atkinsglobal.com/aerospace

Further Reading:
The challenges and benefits of the electrification of aircraft
James Domone

Digital twin for life predictions in civil aerospace

James Domone

Protecting our critical national infrastructure

Dr Richard Piggin

Image sources

Pg 4:
https://www.arabianbusiness.com/transport/395500-uaes-strata-wins-contract-to-build-parts-for-boeing-777x

Pg 15:
https://www.deviantart.com/emigepa/art/A350-1000-648979667

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