CA BIN R E TROFITS
to be observed as well. Aging seats in particular require
thorough maintenance of the parts that are heavily used.”
The MRO experts we spoke to all agreed that one of
the primary hurdles to overcome in the management
of a quick-change programme is the availability of the
parts to be installed on the aircraft, and as Schulz says,
the MRO may occasionally encounter obsolete parts.
Coordinating with suppliers will help, but sometimes the
MRO and aircraft lessor will have to get creative and
manufacture a missing part.
“Sometimes components may be needed that were not
known about at the beginning of the project. Sometimes
there is a slight change in the statement of work, which
will then require new types of parts,” Pevida says. “It’s
PREPARING
THE PROJECT
aircraftinteriorsinternational.com
066 MARCH 2020
AAR SAYS THAT TYPICAL
TURNAROUND TIMES FOR
CABIN RETROFITS THAT INCLUDE
CLASS CHANGES CAN BE SIX TO
NINE MONTHS
“If new materials and
components are used, then
the lease should be as long
as possible ”
certainly something that we have seen happen in these
types of projects, and our manufacturing team has had
to come up with an alternative design. We hold parts
manufacturing approval (PMA) for tens of thousands
of components that we have designed and built over the
years to serve those customers. You need the flexibility
to be able to do that.”
But what makes the effort worthwhile? Certainly, if
the aircraft is needed urgently to fill a gap in capacity
then the first priority must be on having the aircraft
ready to go into service as soon as possible. But the other
consideration is the return on investment (ROI) for the
cabin modification, based on how long the leased aircraft
is likely to operate for the airline.
Some cost factors to consider include the additional
costs of engineering generated by having to remove cabin
interior features unique to the previous aircraft lessee.
Examples include the removal of customised trim and
finish items; additional certification and compliance
costs incurred while ensuring compliance with the latest
Airworthiness Directives (ADs); additional costs that may
be incurred if OEM service bulletins are required to meet
new lessee requirements; and the additional man-hours
and touch labour required for the removal of existing
components that will not be used by the new operator –
an IFE system, for example.
“If new materials and components are used in the
retrofit, then the lease period should be as long as possible
– typically 10 to 12 years,” says Eaton. “If the work-scope
Once the initial project description and
desired time frame of a retrofit has
been identified, the next step in the
process is for the project team to begin
an evaluation of each high-level aspect
within the project to ensure it can
be delivered within the desired time
frame and budget. IATA has set out
guidelines in its ‘Best practices guide
to cabin interior retrofits and entry
into service programme’.
IATA recommends that when
considering new products and
cabin retrofits, particular attention
should be paid to elements that
can have extensive impacts on
the overall schedule and costs
including new product or major
system developments, galley/
monument changes or relocation, IFE
replacements/installations (including
new IFE software/GUI development),
engineering efforts, engagement of
certifying authority to establish the
modifications certification basis and
plan, and stakeholders’ engagement to
address safety standards, procedures
and operational health and safety
issues and other areas of concerns
by end users.
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