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Helicopter market intelligence firm Aero Asset checked in on industry trends during its recent MRO & Supply Chain Roundtable.

About 100 participants tuned in to the webinar, which featured industry leaders from around the globe.

Key themes emerged during the online discussion. No matter where they are located, helicopter maintenance providers continue to struggle with choked supply chains and a scarcity of parts. Operations are further challenged by an aging workforce and a lack of young technicians entering the field. When combined, these two universal challenges cause headaches for MRO firms, especially when they are trying to plan future workflow. Many agreed the industry would run smoother if helicopter operators forecasted their maintenance needs well in advance — so parts could be ordered and people allocated to the job. Late requests for major inspections and scheduled maintenance can throw a big wrench into an MRO facility’s workflow.

“Better planning might help the industry balance its MRO resources,” said James Carroll, head of MRO sales for GAMA Aviation. “Coming from an engine background, you can tell when an event is likely to happen based on hours of flying. People could look ahead and plan for the work and inspections they need.”

Toby Gauld, president and founder of Optima Aero, agreed that planning needs to be better, but said delays are exacerbated by the fact there is not enough people or parts to get the work done. “We need to manage our capacity,” he said during the webinar. “We’re not out of the woods; this industry is competing with military production right now. . . . In addition, the general growth of commercial aviation pulls on the same resources as the helicopter industry.”

Eagle Copters, too, has had issues with parts supply and labor. Company president Jason Diniz said that in the last 2.5 years, the MRO facility has had to implement “sophisticated planning systems” that allow it to plan 18 months ahead at a 75 percent capacity — this allows a capacity buffer zone to handle ad hoc work.

“In some segments, it is easier to project hours flown and forward planning is super critical. We’ve worked with our customers to plan ahead, investing in parts and components ahead of time,” noted Diniz.

On the staffing side, Eagle Copters has proactively searched beyond the borders of its home country, Canada. Diniz said Eagle has had success working with Transport Canada to onboard qualified foreign workers, a process that takes eight months from beginning to end. The retention factor for those workers is well above 80 percent.

Sometimes, an MRO facility’s location presents both opportunity and challenges, said Gauld of Optima Aero. “We are in Southern France, Dallas and Montreal. We are in areas where there is interest in services and product, but the negative side is there is a lot of pull from aerospace, so you have to manage hiring and training properly.”

Julien Paquette, service center director at G2 Aviation, chimed in that parts procurement and lead time continue to be a big challenge for his company. “As well as resources, likely the most limiting factor in our case is how to get the proper people,” he continued. “In the Montreal area, we have OEMs and airlines all pulling on the same resources.” However, Paquette said there has been some improvement with parts supply for selected engines, and OEMs are helping by increasing the life limitations on some parts.

It’s a similar story for Paul Sankey, director at Emperor Aviation in South Africa. “The whole world has the same problems,” he said. “It’s resources and parts supply — skilled labor is a problem.” He commented that the industry is in for some “interesting times,” mentioning that people poaching is an all-too-common problem. “Industry needs to increase salaries, but we can never compete with the oil companies.”

Supply chain backlogs are disrupting workflows around the world. In one case, Joe Wells, lead engineer at Panterra Heli Support, said an engine took 14 months to overhaul. “No matter how you look at it, that’s a hard figure to do clean, efficient business with,” he said. However, he feels optimistic about 2025, adding that Panterra has implemented proactive parts strategies.

For its part, GAMA Aviation finds most of its business in the government, offshore, and medevac sectors. Carroll said staffing is a big concern there, too — it’s getting harder to find maintenance engineers and “they are not getting any younger.”

Looking ahead, he said helicopter MRO needs to find ways to attract young people to the industry. “We take on six apprentices every year; we all need to promote ourselves better. Rotary aircraft provide so many services that are a given in daily life.”

Emerging markets, new opportunities

Jason Diniz of Eagle Copters said the company is looking at opening a facility in Asia, where there is a clear lack of MRO services.

“We are seeing a shift into emerging markets, but they don’t have the footprint you’d see in mature markets, thanks to regulatory considerations, supply chain, and other barriers to entry,” he said. “There are opportunities and challenges, but this will be a huge scope over the next years.”

When discussing the aviation industry’s drive to net-zero emissions and eco-friendly practices, all agreed that everyone has a part to play. Some cited new buildings constructed with sustainability in mind; innovations beyond the traditional turbine engine; and programs that concentrate on repairing and recycling quality used parts.

GAMA Aviation’s Carroll said his company is focused on supporting older helicopters, such as the Sikorsky S-76,  including keeping an eye on corrosion and looking for additional ways to protect the asset.

Gauld agreed, adding that the business space between older helicopters and new machines presents an opportunity for Optima Aero, where 80 percent of the business is in serviceable parts sales.

“One hundred percent of what we do is to repair and reuse better,” continued Gauld. “Our mission is to reduce our carbon footprint by providing serviceable lower cost parts to the market. We are working to develop a carbon footprint calculator — and there is a significant role to play in reusing more materials in this industry. When you are hiring younger engineers, they are really engaged with this concept.”

Diniz of Eagle Copters agreed “there is a real need for MRPs [maintenance reserve programs] in the market.” When it comes to recruiting the helicopter MRO industry’s next generation, he added: “I think upselling the younger generation on career paths is a combination of things. We need to show them a stable industry. Unliked fixed-wing, helicopters are always flying no matter the economy. So come join a sustainable global industry with a great career path — we’re doing our share.”

Around the world, helicopter MRO facilities reiterated the need to shore up the labor force and invest in good production planning and related tools, including effective records management. Internal parts and components programs that harvest, repair and sell certified parts back into the ecosystem can help to fill supply chain gaps — and focusing on a greener future has its benefits, including an appeal to the younger generation of technicians.