MRO 2008 Show News Briefing - April 7, 2008 - (Page 8)

MRO Boeing Ties ‘Green’ to ‘Lean’ Boeing has always worked to make airplanes, certified by year-end. “We are looking at using lean capabilities support and services more efficient, and with efficiency comes a lower environmental in the maintenance repair overhaul facilities impact. What’s good for customers, in other that we can control ourselves, but also helpwords, is good for the ing our customers set standards for using this,” he told Show News. “That is a marriage environment too. “Being an important between the operational efficiency and the part of the global trans- environmental performance of an operation.” “Lean is a huge initiative. It is a key way of portation system, we need to work together,” thinking about our contribution to the aviasays Per Norén, director tion industry and the entire supply chain.” Per Norén. “Our Lifecycle Solutions approach, with of environmental strategy integrated operational offerings, has a strong for Boeing Commercial Aviation Services. “We need to do everything we can to min- environmental component to it,” Norén says. “We at Boeing believe in driving key perimize aviation’s environmental footprint formance indicators and global standards. while keeping our customers successful.” “Our customers are Boeing is working to ‘We need to do everygoing to ask for it. They apply the same focus and thing we can to minimize are under economical processes it’s used to empressure. They are brace lean manufacturing aviation’s environmental under environmental to expand what Norén calls footprint while keeping “environmentally progres- our customers successful.’ pressure. “So we are in the sive services.” —Per Norén same boat. In a related area, Boeing “Our customers success,” says Norén, “is has committed to having all Boeing Commercial manufacturing sites ISO 14001- our success.” Converted Freighter Demand Is Growing Boeing pegs world demand for jet freighters at 3,350 over the next 20 years, and says 2,480 will be conversions. “It’s a very robust market,” says freighter conversions vp Dennis Floyd. Boeing has helped customers convert their passenger airplanes into freighters for more than 30 years. By adapting aging planes to carry cargo, Boeing offers customers a way to refresh their fleet without scrapping assets with considerable remaining life. The latest BCF offering (Boeing Converted Freighter) is the 767-300, for which launch customer All Nippon Airways has just converted two options, bringing its order total to seven. Work is being done by ST Aero’s SASCO unit in Singapore (photo above), which also converts MD-11s. Other BCF partners include TAECO, in Xiamen, China, for 747-400s. Italy’s Alenia Aeronavali converts DC-10s, MD-10s and MD-11s to freighters (the DC-10 work can also include two-crew cockpits). By the end of 2008, 80% of all the MD-11s built will be converted for cargo. Boeing Engineering Is Making Customers’ Customers Happier passengers spend most of their time in the cabin, it is the seats and the IFE systems that are driving most of the changes we see.” IFE is in-flight entertainment, and it is increasingly important to passengers—as are amenities like fully reclining seats or lieflat sleeper seats for premium cabins. It is thus an important part of Boeing fleet enhancement efforts, “pretty much through all classes,” Larson says. “We still have class difAirlines pick the cabin ‘commodities’ like seats and IFE units. Boeing makes it all fit—and work. ferentiation, “Airlines,” says Craig Larson, director of modification services for Boeing Commercial Aviation Services, “are competing with each other for flying passengers. “They are trying to differentiate themselves primarily with the seats, the IFE, and then, of course, the service they also provide to passengers. Since the 8 but everybody seems to be moving up.” Installing seats and TVs in an airplane is a bit more complicated than bringing them home from the mall and putting them in the family room. Airline customers select suppliers of seats and IFE systems, and other accouterments—what Larson calls “commodities.” Boeing then engineers their fit, and installs them. “The service we provide is to integrate the various commodities into the airplane, develop the engineering instructions, and certify the installation ,” Larson says. “There are also parts that Boeing provides to help complete the integration,” he adds. “Sometimes we will provide close-out panels. We have to add or delete passenger service units or PSUs as seat pitches change. A lot of the wiring we provide. Sometimes closets, sometimes lavatories are changed. “We integrate all of the various commodities to develop a complete interior reconfiguration package.” Airlines usually schedule their interior upfits to coincide with C or D checks. April, 2008 www.aviationweek.com/shownews Sponsored by The Boeing Company. http://www.aviationweek.com/shownews

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of MRO 2008 Show News Briefing - April 7, 2008

MRO 2008 Show News Briefing - April 7, 2008 Contents PBL and Partnerships Delta-Chromalloy PMA Reverse Engineering? Straighter, Rounder Regionals Buck the Trend Composites Loom Large Freighters and Cargo

MRO 2008 Show News Briefing - April 7, 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.